Phoenix Ascending
by Takao1160
Summary: This is A/U in the Harry Potter Series. Harry/Hermione and Bellatrix are taken by fate to another realm to fend for themselves. Little did they know that fate had another plan, that involved them being trained to run a world unknown to them. They learn to depend upon themselves for survival and build a world that leaves a legacy far beyond what they understand.


**Phoenix Ascending**

**This an A/U where Bella, Hermione, and Harry interact. The three are taken by fate when Harry is killed in the final battle by Bellatrix. Tom has already died by Harry's hand and the final battle is over… or is it?**

**Chapter 1**

The silence of the night battlefield was broken by the shrill scream of a woman standing on a hill one hundred yards away from the main fight. Harry watched Tom Riddle's head fall in slow motion. It ambled down the hill as his death eaters and the soldiers of light watched in horror or relief as it signaled the end of the battle and the pureblood's hopes.

Harry turned his head to watch the sword, Ethereal, a Potter family heirloom, attached to Harry's hand on one end and Tom Riddle's headless body on the other. Riddle's arms lay limply by his side. The sword had been buried in Voldemort's chest, piercing his heart. Voldemort's last living act was to feel the Gryffindor sword sever his head from his shoulders. Harry kicked at Voldemort's chest and the sword came out with a soft squishy slurp. Harry then found Voldemort's wand on the ground and he picked it up after sheathing both of his swords behind his back.

Harry gave a battle cry and snapped the wand and with a resounding crack it was heard by everyone. Harry yelled at the top of his lungs "Enough… Stop… It is over!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to him "If you are a death eater you will drop your wand now… or you will die!" To emphasize his point Harry threw out his arms and a wave of magic flew across the grounds and knocked only the death eaters down.

A hundred or more wands flew at the feet of the boy who lived. Ron and Hermione walked to stand on either side of him. Harry looked all around and took notice of the large battlefield before he continued "Our world has had enough fighting. We have had enough death to last the next twenty years. I want peace and you will give it to me."

Harry watched the next two minutes as the aurors began to collect the Death eaters and shackle their wrists. The reverie was broken by another shrill cry from another hill "No!" Harry turned to view a woman in black with a sword in one hand and her wand in the other. "I will not give up." She yelled to everyone.

Harry looked at her with resolve as he spoke loud enough for her to hear it as a whisper "You crazy bitch! Let it go or I will kill you."

"You will not Potter. I will never give in to you and you will not know the spoils of this war." Harry was confused by her statement.

Harry responded "I do not want the spoils of any war, you have nothing I want in fact. All I want to know is that you are in a cell in Azkaban to live the remainder of your years."

The Woman looked across the slight depression "No, you want my soul to desecrate and I will not surrender to a half blood… it will not happen!" Harry looked at her in slight confusion before he thought she has completely lost it and she is not savable.

With a sadness and a tiredness he had not felt until now, Harry raised his sword "So be it you crazy psycho bitch! Accio Bellatrix!" Harry yelled at her.

Bellatrix no name was caught completely by surprise and raised her sword across her chest as she flew at an incredible speed across the divide that separated the two hills. She screamed out her frustration the whole distance across. Her face took on a shocked look as she felt Harry's sword penetrate into her chest.

She looked at the sword momentarily and then into Harry's eyes. She noticed immediately how brilliantly green and how pretty they were. She grabbed his hand that held the pommel and looked at him "I will never give in and I will never be sullied by a man, ever again." She smiled to him. Harry looked at her oddly before she whispered to him "But then again Potter you will never sully a woman and I will steal your birthright."

Harry felt a sharp pain in his chest and found Bellatrix's hand attached to a small pommel. His one thought "Shit, this is going to hurt!" Harry and Bellatrix fell to the ground dead as everyone looked on in complete shock. Unnoticed by everyone was the magic that began to coalescence around them and with a pop, the pair disappeared. Many stood in complete wonder as to what the hell just happened.

Hermione in stunned shock cried out "Oh my god! Harry…No, you won…No this can't happen!" Hermione screamed as she fell to her knees and wailed as she looked at the ground where Harry had been just moments before.

**Chapter 2 **

Harry awoke with a slight headache and then saw before him the crazy witch he had just killed. He tried to move away from her but found himself pinned to her hand with the small dagger she had stuck in him. He pried her hands from the pommel and then slowly removed the dagger from his chest. He felt magic heal his wounds before he knelt and looked around some more. He quickly noticed his sword sticking in Bellatrix.

He watched something or somebody moving towards them. He left the sword in her but stood next to the handle, just in case. His warrior senses alerting him to the danger that may be present. He widened his stance as he saw a shadow appear in front of him.

The shadow had not become clearer when a male voice was heard "You have nothing to fear from me Harry Potter. You have completed one prophesy but have left another unfulfilled. This cannot be and you are expected to complete both."

Harry looked at the man that appeared from the shadow to see a silvered haired, middle aged man with bright green eyes who looked to be around forty or fifty years old. The man had battle robes over a white breastplate with a golden Griffin painted onto its surface. He carried a sword similar to the one he had plunged into Bellatrix's heart.

Harry with coldness asked him "Who are you and where is this place?"

The man gave a small smirk "I have many names and many titles that I am known by but the one I find most agreeable is I am me." he finished with a grin. Harry noticed that his grin seemed familiar somehow.

Harry was not in the mood "You are fate…you son of a bitch! You are the reason that I had to go through all that shit only to die in the end. I won but I lost everything in the process. I lost my godfather and worse yet I lost the woman that I loved above all others."

Fate looked sternly at him "I merely placed you on a stage with certain props of my making my young friend, your actions and words were your own."

Harry responded "The stage I played on was skewed and left me few choices, it wasn't fair."

Fate frowned "I know but I might remind you that Bellatrix was goading you and you responded. Had you left her alone and allowed the aurors to handle her you would not have died."

Harry looked at him "She was one of the fiercest death eaters and the most loyal. I had to do it because another may have lost their life, I couldn't allow that to happen."

"By your own admission you made your choices and that is the way of fate." Fate grinned at him "You made your life and this place is the result of all that you have done. You are at the crossroads young Harry Potter." Fate finished.

Harry with a tear rolling from his eye "I…I…am here without Hermione…I need her. I can't lose her because I promised her."

Fate looked at him "You did not lose Hermione. You will be with her again very soon. You and she are the one thing that I can never and would never mess with. She is the very air that you breathe Harry." The man lowered his head and breathed a small sigh "Fate is one of my many names." Harry heard the distinct sound of longing, of love, and of sorrow when Fate spoke Hermione's name. Harry thought it very curious.

Harry took his wand and conjured a bench for himself and for the man. The man looked at it and smiled "Thank you Mr. Potter."

Harry sat down and looked at him and then to Bella "What will happen to her?"

Fate looked at her "That is one reason I brought you here to the crossroad. You have to make a choice not only for yourself and Hermione but Bellatrix too."

Harry sat up "What do you mean a choice?"

Fate smiled "It is exactly that, a choice and you have reached a place where your path can go in many different directions. You have reached a crossroad and because life has been so unfair to you in the past I wanted to give you a choice, after all you did save the wizarding world and completed a part of a prophesy.

Harry looked towards him "What do you mean I completed a prophesy, Voldemort is dead and his message went the same way as he did. I did my part."

Fate gave a sigh "You killed the symbol, you killed an evil man who could gather others to an unjust cause and nothing more. Your views are too simplistic and they are of a warrior who sees little value in other more important arenas." Fate turned towards him "Think about what really gave rise and power to a wizard that was not that intelligent but very talented and a majority feared…even his name."

Harry scoffed "I have done my part for god and country. I expect those in power to clean this up and to set things right. My part of the greater good is over. "

Fate grimaced and wore a very sad looking frown "Harry, if you do that I guarantee that you will become a dark lord the likes the world has never seen and in fact you will be the last Dark Lord they will ever know because only you will be left in the world."

Harry shaken and disturbed stuttered "How can I …I mean…I would never…"

"Harry…" Fate began "Your path and this choice right now is pivotal in time. That is why it is a crossroad." Fate sighed and looked towards something in the distance "This crossroad is not yours alone, it is for all humanity and for Hermione. Humanity has hurt you, certain people have left you emotionally damaged, this path you are on will cause a hurt so great you will lose your sanity and there is no return for anyone because by that point you will not care anymore."

Harry sat shocked by what he was being told. It was not possible he could ever do something like that. Fate watched as the emotions played over his face and knew he was not convinced yet and did not want to tell him the next bit.

"Harry, My name is fate. I can see many possible futures and many outcomes across the dimensions. This realm and your time is a nexus. The last human alive was a little girl that looked very much like your youngest daughter. She asked for a hug for the last time before you killed her. She wanted her death to help you and went willingly." Fate had tears in his eyes. "You didn't even realize she whispered in your ear with her last breath "I forgive you."

Fate wiped his eyes "Your choices on my stage will lead you to this conclusion and you have to make different choices Harry because the alternative is unthinkable. You are far more powerful than you know and your emotions fuel that power. Love makes your power tranquill and stable."

Harry looked scared and realized that the key to all of this was Hermione… it had to be. She was the only person who really mattered to him because deep down humanity could go screw themselves. "Do all the choices get me back to Hermione?"

Fate shook his head before he smiled "I see you understand the key to everything is Hermione. She is what stops all the madness from happening and you must protect her or suffer greatly but unfortunately you only have two paths that will get you there with her."

Harry sighed "At least I have that and the other choices are not important. I can't and won't leave her behind."

Fate looked uncomfortable "Harry one of those paths will lead to Hermione leaving you within ten years. You are both alike in that many have caused you great amounts of emotional pain and this has left both of you damaged." Harry looked stunned at this revelation.

Fate continued "Harry your brooding and failure to give emotion will leave Hermione hurting and cause her to emotionally distancing herself from you. You will eventually walk away from each other never to love another for the rest of your lonely lives. Your achievements will be turned to ash from your failure to truly love without hesitation. The only good in this is that the world will be safe."

Harry looked down and felt his heart hit the floor. He thought for many minutes before he spoke "I can change I just need to know what to do and how to fix this. I love Hermione and I need her." Harry exclaimed.

Fate came over and sat beside him "Yes, Harry you do but you cannot take the path alone. Hermione must come on this journey with you. She must also learn to love unconditionally for your relationship with her to work."

Fate stood up and looked concerned before he closed his eyes and then swirled his hands and caused a mist to appear before them. Harry watched as the mist became a picture of Hermione clutching her knees as she sat upon a couch in her parents den.

In the door into the room stood her parents crying as they watched Hermione suffering. Harry watched her and tears leaked from his eyes at the grief he was witnessing. Fate touched the mist to stop the view from movement.

Fate wiped a tear from his eyes "She has begun her journey Harry. She had to know true loss and the fear of not having you there. It was the only way to shake her world enough to lead her to the path of her redemption. In another month she will leave the magical world to never return to it or her parents. Harry she will never recover from your loss and will be lost to the world and time. In her grief of your loss she will find no solace and no quarter but there is hope if you choose the right path. You can help her and yourself."

Harry stood up and pleaded with Fate "What is the right path? Tell me because I can't stand seeing her like this." Harry pleaded with him.

Fate sighed "This will be the hard part for you and Hermione. I must bring her here to join you in this decision. There is a way for you to heal yourselves and go on with your lives but it is a rocky path and one that you both cannot travel alone." Fate faded from view.

Harry sat there for many minutes and watched Bellatrix lifeless body. He was getting antsy when from afar he saw Hermione appear through the mist. She had two trunks with her and looked very sad as she was waiting for a train. He ran toward to her and when she heard the shuffling of feet she looked up to see Harry appear before her. Harry was stunned because she refused to look directly at him. She kept looking around to see if anyone else saw what she saw.

After a very uncomfortable few moments and the image of Harry was still in front of her, Hermione crumpled to the floor and began to cry. Harry fell to his knees beside her. He did not reach out for her, at first, he merely held his hand under her face so she could see that he was there. Harry gently stated "Hermione it is not a dream, a vision, or psychosis. I am here with you."

Hermione stopped rocking very stunned at hearing Harry's voice from the vision. Hermione didn't look up and began to shake her head no "I can't." she sobbed. Before the rocking continued even harder and she drew her knees into her chest "Every day for a month I have seen you in my dreams. I moved to a different apartment and we even sat down and had breakfast together last week."

"Everyone tries to say it is my mind missing you and my magic is wishing for you to come back so the images are conjured to bring you back to me but I know what it truly means and that one day I will completely snap from reality and I will find you there all the time." Hermione cried harder "Harry I am going crazy and if I give in I will not come back because frankly I wouldn't want to. I can't function without you."

Harry worried for a moment and then a smile appeared on his face "That is called crazy love then. I always wanted to be in crazy love. I thought I knew what that was when I was alive and with you but I didn't and neither did you."

Hermione looked up and into his eyes "What… you can't make fun of me like that. Wait you said when you were alive…past tense. Then you're a vision a figment of my imagination?" As she looked into his eyes her brain began to wonder and ask questions. "You never did this before." she whispered to herself. "You never made fun of me."

Harry smiled "I use to whenever I needed to get your mind around something… or I needed to distract you from a rant." Hermione actually laughed.

Hermione said with a smile in her voice "You were always good at distracting me." Hermione sat up straighter and looked very closely at Harry. It was evident from the emotions coming from her that she was coming to a decision and having reached it asked "How Harry, how did you get back here…to me?"

Harry understood her question as he placed a hand on the side of her face "How? Hermione is that the best question you could come up with?" Harry leaned forward and smiled at her as he answered "Love is the answer Hermione because you are the very air to me and I cannot function without you."

Hermione had a mischievous glint in her eye "Harry-dore? Because that sounded so much like Albus I had to look twice." She stated with a laugh in her voice.

Hermione did not even hesitate as she launched herself at him and felt his solid body impact with hers. This renewed her tears and within fifteen minutes Harry's robe was soaked. Hermione sat in his lap and wouldn't let go. It was many minutes before she calmed down enough that Harry could say or do anything.

Hermione "I am sorry that you had to go through the last month. I never meant for that to happen. I can't believe I let Bellatrix get the better of me."

Hermione clung to his cloak "Harry what happened to you? Where did you go?"

Harry lifted her face to kiss her lips "Hermione I died."

Hermione hesitantly asked "Does this mean you are still dead?"

Harry's smile faltered "To be honest I don't know exactly if I am dead or alive." Harry thought for a moment "I think therefore I am, is the best way to express it. I don't feel dead at all."

Hermione closed her eyes and began to shiver "Then with a resolve that Harry had not seen before she flashed her eyes "Fuck It!" she exclaimed "If this is my psychosis then I am crazy as a loon but as long as you are with me I can endure anything. I am tired of missing you and hurting like I do. My life was over the second you disappeared. How do I get to where you are? Do I need to die too?"

Harry gave her a concerned look but before he could speak a cough from behind them broke the moment. Hermione looked over Harry's shoulder and then quickly asked "Who are you?"

The older man smiled "Well Harry calls me fate and I guess you can too."

Hermione jumped up and stood in front of him. She placed a hand on her hip and then took her index finger to poke fate in the chest as she spoke "You are going to bring me to where Harry is. You are going to straighten this mess out and what were you thinking when you separated us?" she scolded him.

The man merely smiled at her before a twinkle shone in his eyes. "You are currently where Harry is so that task is accomplished."

Hermione interrupted him by pointing a finger at him "Don't even think about separating us again."

Fate grinned "I wouldn't dare. I do believe you would hurt me very badly." He finished with a smirk.

Fate whispered under his breath "I had forgotten how beautiful you are." He said as he looked at her. Hermione noticed the look he was giving her and did not know quite how to take it. It did not disturb her as much as it probably should have.

Hermione noticed right away that his eyes and Harry's were very similar, if not the same. She felt a chill run down her back. She moved back to Harry. "Why are we here?" she asked quietly.

Harry answered "We are at a crossroad where I… I mean we must decide what to do. It seems I have another chance."

Hermione grinned "Only you Harry Potter would tempt fate."

Fate chuckled at this little twist on words. He sighed if only they knew how accurate Hermione's words were. Perhaps if this works out then they will have never known the pain and suffering that he knew. Fate watched the couple as they clung together. He had forgotten how right they looked and how happy they made each other. He hoped this worked out for them as he knew this was their… his best chance.

**Chapter 3**

Fate allowed them to talk quietly for a few more minutes and then stepped forward and they felt his presence as he entered the chamber they were now in. Harry turned to him "I have brought Hermione up to date with as much as I know. I guess we are ready for the rest of what you have to tell us."

Hermione looked at Fate and gave a small smile "I am sorry if I offended you being bossy."

Fate waved his hand and smiled at her "There is no need child as you were distraught with grief and longing. I understand exactly how you feel. I too have known loss such as yours."

Hermione stammered "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Fate nearly laughed at the situation "No, my time has already passed and now I am satisfied helping others."

Hermione grinned and looked to Harry "I know somebody else that has a saving people thing too." This did cause fate to laugh.

Fate finally let out a last chuckle and then sat down on a bench before motioning Harry and Hermione to do the same. He looked down and then slowly brought his eyes to them "As I already told Harry any person's life is made up of choices. Each choice has consequences and repercussions.

Many choices are not even that persons but they indirectly effect what happens to them. Especially as children when a parent makes a choice to hold or scold a child, it has repercussions. To some it toughens them up but often at the price of them losing or withholding a bit of compassion or love they would normally give freely. No person ever acts the same in a given situation.

Often in cases such as Harry's abuse, people find it very hard to trust in others and in authority figures. In Hermione's case she has found it very hard to make friends and found comfort from adults and she trusts authority to do the right thing. A child's view of things is more simplistic than that of an adult and therefore their defenses are simplistic. They either like something or that which causes them hurt they avoid." Fate looked at each of them to see the painful memories flit across their minds. He could see that they understood all too well.

Hermione wiped a tear from her eye "Harry told me that if we choose the wrong path that we would leave each other in ten years. I don't understand that. I don't see how that could happen to us."

Fate looked serious when he replied "That is because of others who surrounded you and a combination of many things that you will not notice until it is too late or may never notice. Your reactions to hurt will drive you away from each other. Your learned defense will cause you to protect yourself until you crumble as a couple. What is worse is that you will feel better from the separation which will only reinforce the decision you made but it is wrong."

Hermione looked worried and then looked at Harry and then back down. She did not say anything for a few minutes and then looked back up "I think I am beginning to understand or at least not question that what you describe could happen to us. It is hard for me to feel this but as the last month has shown me, anything can happen and have terrible consequences."

Hermione was picking her fingernails in nervous energy "I don't ever want to feel that lonely or that much pain ever again. What must I do?" she asked softly. Harry rubbed her back in small circles and kissed her temple which Hermione responded too by leaning harder into Harry to soak up the affection and closeness she had missed.

Fate responded "You two must learn to love without boundaries or limits. You must learn to open your hearts."

Harry looked up with a question "I already feel that with Hermione. How can I open up more than I am already doing?" he asked.

Fate made one eyebrow rise up "Surely you jest if you believe that to be true. You who must know somebody for years before you will give them only a portion of your trust. You are so guarded that Hermione is the one you trust the most but still you hide things from her. Things that make you the way you are." Harry's eye's flashed as his anger rose.

"That is not something that is important for anyone to know except for me. It is also something I am unwilling to talk about." Harry spat out.

Hermione turned to look at Harry with many questions. Hermione drew his face to hers "Harry I already know your relatives were terrible to you is there more?" Hermione touched her forehead to his and saw the pain in his eyes as this brought many bad memories "Harry I am always in your corner and you know that." Harry flashed his eyes in anger at Fate but did not reply.

Fate then looked at Hermione "What of you dear lady? What are the secrets that you hide between your defensive walls? Shall we explore them while Harry is here?" Hermione looked at him with pain in her eyes.

"No, I don't believe that is necessary." Hermione replied as her body stiffened." This made Harry very serious as she wouldn't look at him. She buried her face in his neck as he held her tighter.

Fate stood up and walked closer to them both and said with much emotion "Do not delude yourselves that you are anything but emotionally damaged people." Fate sighed and then softened his words "The path of lies and omission is the wrong path for you to take. You must be honest and be open with yourself first and then to each other. If you don't it will lead to your separation, it is that simple."

Hermione and Harry both looked at each other and held a silent conversation without words. Harry gave a slight nod and Hermione turned to Fate "I believe we understand the importance now and will work to take care of this problem." Hermione looked into Harry's eyes "It will not be today but I promise to tell you everything."

Harry looked at her and then bent his head down "I feel ashamed and I am afraid of what you will think of me?" He said quietly.

Hermione replied "Ashamed? Harry what your relatives did to you and specifically how your uncle and Dudley beat you was not your fault." Hermione grabbed his hand and held it to her chest over her heart "What has always amazed me about you is upon your return to school, despite what happened during your summer holidays, you never let it get you down and you never treated me differently. Others that have gone through the same thing have almost always become violent and you never did."

Harry looked up at her "You knew?"

Hermione nodded to him and then answered "I knew some and even went to McGonagel and the Headmaster on many occasions. During 4th year I hatched a plot to kidnap you to get you out of there. Tonks caught me going in your house and stopped it. From then on I worked with her to make sure that you had food and that the beatings stopped."

Harry sat in thought "I wondered about that…I never knew that. Why didn't you say anything?"

Hermione sniffed "Because I knew that it was painful for you to talk about and I never wanted to make you feel worse. I just wanted it better for you."

Harry held her hand then squeezed it "I promise I will tell you about it…soon and thanks for taking care of me."

Hermione had a glowing smile "I always do don't I?"

Fate nodded in understanding "Just remember love…true love, cannot flourish in the shadow of lies and fear. You now know the other has something they fear, so conquer it!" he exclaimed.

Fate sat back down and it was Harry that asked "So what are the choices we must look at?"

Fate grinned "Well you did have choices but now as you both have indicated you will not take one path, you have no choice and only a path to follow."

Harry turned to Hermione and explained "I had two paths that would not lead me away from you and I refused to consider anything where you weren't a part of my life. I only had two paths to consider from that point. If we are separated after ten years then that is not a choice I would make either."

Hermione smiled up at him "Really Mr. Potter? I am glad I am that important to you because you are my entire world…literally!" She held her arms out to encompass the chamber they were in and she began to laugh. Harry caught on and he laughed too.

Fate smiled at them…literally "I am glad you have not lost your sense of humor as you will need it for what I am about to tell you." Fate stood and began to pace with his hands behind his back before he stopped and turned to them "Your path is with Bellatrix to overcome your own faults you must find a way to show her, her own redemption."

Hermione and Harry both stood up and began shouting at the same time. They kept it up for a full minute before Fate sat down and chuckled "I do not know why you are complaining because it is the path you chose yourself." Fate pointed at them "Both of you chose it."

Harry sat back down and looked distraught "Why is it always me?" he asked out loud.

Hermione sat down beside him "Will there ever be a time of no crisis we have to deal with?"

Harry harrumphed loudedly "Don't I wish!" Harry sat straighter and then grabbed Hermione's hand in his own "Hermione, you need to go back. I want you to stay safe and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can." Harry stated with sadness.

Hermione became mad and then with a suddenness that caught Harry off guard she stood up and slapped him across his face "How dare you even think that!" she shouted at him. Harry looked up and saw tears streaming down her face.

Hermione continued "Hell Harry is where I have been for the last month. My hell is being separated from you and no hope of ever touching or seeing you again." Hermione fell to her knees and placed her hands over her face. Harry by this time had tears in his eyes as he knelt in front of her.

"Hermione, I am sorry." He said softly as he rubbed her shoulders. "I don't want to see you hurt or harmed in any way."

Hermione a little calmer removed her hands and looked at him "Harry, there is no greater pain or harm that could ever happen to me than being away from you." Hermione looked down to her lap and softly said "Harry it hurt so bad I was flying away from Britain and hoping the plane would crash to end my pain. I wanted every day…I wished everyday to die because my pain was too much to bear." Hermione bowed her head "I am so ashamed to admit I was so weak and preferred suicide to being without you."

Hermione looked into his green eyes "The only reason I didn't is I felt I would betray your memory and I couldn't do that to you. I was stuck with a broken heart and pain I could not make go away. Whatever happens to us… to me I don't care I more than anything need to be with you… I can't survive without you."

Harry took his fingers and lifted her chin. He looked deeply into her eyes and tried as hard as he could to convey all the love he felt for her. He then leaned forward and softly kissed her lips. "I am so sorry Hermione. I would never hurt you intentionally and it appears that my concern for your safety did not consider your needs and for that I am greatly sorry."

Hermione smiled and then grimaced as she looked at his red and swollen cheek. She brought her hand up tenderly to smooth his red skin. She leaned forward and planted soft kisses over the area. She then hugged him to her and whispered into his ear "Harry, I cannot live without you. I would rather die fighting by your side than live the last month. Don't ever push me away."

Harry leaned back "I promise I will never ever do that again." He stated as he rubbed his cheek. "It is rather a painful reminder you gave me." Hermione grinned at him.

Fate spoke up "Good I am glad you worked that issue out. I usually don't recommend violence on a loved one but in this instance as the recipient was so thickheaded, I believe it sent the appropriate message." Fate leaned down and touched Bellatrix's forehead and she began to moan.

She rolled on her side and viewed the room. When she spotted Harry and his mud blood girlfriend, she automatically reached for her wand and found it was not where it should be. She then reached for a small dagger hidden in a thigh holster. She found it and slipped it from its sheath.

Harry and Hermione had stood up and saw Bellatrix movement which put them on alert "Don't even think about it with a sword sticking out of your chest, it ruins your speed and agility." Harry said with a smirk.

Bellatrix looked down and realized what the pressure she had been feeling was. She stayed on her side and drew out a long breath. Harry moved beside her as Hermione stepped on her wrist with the dagger. Hermione deftly leaned down and plucked it from the black hearted witches grasp. She tucked it into her belt before leaning down and removing the scabbard for it from between Bellatrix thigh.

Bellatrix smirked "Be careful mud blood you might see what a real pureblood witch looks like."

Harry revealed a heavy frown before he replied "Hey Crazy bitch! If I were you I wouldn't antagonize the people who can help or hurt you. That is not too smart if you ask me."

Bellatrix turned her head toward him "I am not asking a blood traitor for anything."

Harry twitched his fingers and accio'ed all of Bellatrix's weapons. Hermione raised her eyebrows as four more daggers and a Short broad sword landed at his feet. Hermione snidely remarked "I am not even going to ask where you had the short sword stuck up. Perhaps your demeanor will lighten since your pain has diminished."

Bellatrix retorted "Did the mud blood just make a joke about me? How refreshing! Remind me to kill you last slag!"

Hermione dropped her knee right down on Bellatrix's breast which caused Bellatrix a great amount of pain. Bellatrix attempted to hit Hermione with a free hand but Hermione was prepared and caught it and then twisted it roughly causing Bellatrix to scream out in pain.

Hermione turned Bellatrix's face toward her and looked at her "I will only tell you this once. I am not the little girl you fought in fifth year or the young lady you fought with last month. I watched you take the man I love away from me and I would like nothing better than to beat you black and blue every day. Nothing would satisfy me more. If I were you I wouldn't want to piss me off."

Bellatrix looked into her eyes and found an intensity that made her shiver. But fear was an old friend she had lived with for too many years to count. "You don't scare me Mud Blood. I am far superior to you in every way." Hermione smirked in return.

She nodded to Harry and he removed the sword from Bellatrix swiftly. This caused Bellatrix to scream loudly in pain. Hermione smiled down at her "I enjoyed that."

Bellatrix eyes flashed in anger and then she attempted to lift her legs to kick Hermione. Hermione had placed her foot in between Bella's legs so that the dress material stopped her legs from lifting. Bellatrix then took her free hand and attempted to hit Hermione again but Hermione caught it.

Bellatrix screamed out in frustration and struggled but Hermione held on. Hermione kept smiling and then released the witch below her. Hermione walked a few feet away and then turned and stood in a fighting stance. She watched Bellatrix get off the floor and watched the younger witch standing there.

Bellatrix charged and then screamed at Hermione. Hermione deftly turned her back to Bellatrix and as Bellatrix thought she was running away a small smirk appeared on the older witches face. Bella was caught completely off guard when she felt something hard hit her stomach and she flew back five or six feet.

Hermione stood there with one hand on her hip and looking at her fingernails. Bella got up and before she turned to Hermione, Hermione spoke again "I find it funny that a mere mud blood can kick your ass using a muggle fighting style you don't even know about."

Bella turned and then held her hands up as if to box. There was no recognizable style that Hermione could tell and she spread her feet apart to lower her stance some. Bellatrix moved forward and began throwing punches at the muggle girl. She got two off that didn't connect because Hermione blocked them.

Hermione deflected, weaved and bobbed to elude contact with the various punches that Bella threw at her for the next two minutes. Hermione began to notice that Bellatrix was becoming winded and that her arms were consistently getting lower. Hermione kicked Bellatrix in the crotch which drove the air from older witches lungs and made her fall to her knees. Hermione then moved blinding fast and kneed her in the forehead. She blacked out from the impact.

When Bellatrix woke up she found Hermione kneeling beside her with a distinctive smirk she wanted to remove from her face. When she attempted to lift her head the pain shot through her nerve receptors and Bellatrix thought better of trying again. Hermione responded "That felt good and I wouldn't mind doing something like that every day. It would be splendid therapy for me. For you, not so much! I feel that you being a muggle punching bag won't work with your twisted view of things. However, if you wish to get your arse handed to you, then come on back and I will always be ready to accommodate."

Bellatrix looked up before closing her eyes and laying her pounding head on the floor "Perhaps another time dear as I have such a headache."

Harry shook his head "Well, if you didn't already know we are not dead. Not yet anyway. Fate gave Hermione and me a choice to move forward. He is vague about it but for reasons I cannot comprehend, you must come with us. Since you caused this, you will get no choice in the matter and will do as you are told."

Bellatrix looked at him sharply "Like hell I will! I am not going anywhere with you two."

Harry chuckled "Yes you are and I you can either do it as a prisoner kicking and screaming or you can come of your own accord. The choice is yours but you are coming with us." Bella looked at him and saw the same intensity in his eyes and knew she had no say in the matter.

Fate stepped forward to finish the explanation of what they were going to do. "The three of you will be sent to another realm. It is there that you must come to grips with who you are and who you were meant to be."

Bella interrupted him "Since I already know who I am I won't have to go then." She snidely added.

Fate chuckled "Yes you will! As Hermione has already demonstrated without your wand and magic you are really not that imposing. You fail to work at any other things because you have magic. That is why the world you are going to does not know magic and you will have to live as the muggles do. You will have to scrounge for food, water, and shelter to survive."

Fate threw down a bag "Whatever this can hold is all that you will be allowed to take. So I suggest you choose wisely. This room can conjure anything you desire but it must all fit in the bag or on your person."

Harry asked "What kind of danger will we face and how long will we be there?"

Fate looked thoughtful for a moment "This world is young and the inhabitants are not human. They have no knowledge of weapons and only use spears and knives made of wood and rocks. They are hunters/ gatherers and are just starting to learn to manipulate their environment by growing their own food. They are what you would call primitive."

Fate looked at them to judge their thoughts before continuing "As to how long you will be there, I do not have an answer. It depends entirely upon you and accomplishing your tasks. It could be months, years, decades, or never."

Bellatrix looked concerned "What task must we accomplish?" she asked.

Fate looked at her "You must redeem yourself Bellatrix. Harry and Hermione have their own personal mission to accomplish and something else they must adapt to and overcome but that is their secret to share if they wish." Bellatrix looked at them both for an answer but realized they had no reason and probable no desire to answer her questions.

Hermione stepped forward "Are there any rules we must follow and do the locals have any kind of language or written word."

Fate gave a slight chuckle before he answered "There are no rules except what you must do to survive and it will be a challenge for all of you. The locals speak a common language with many dialects but have nothing written down. They do have a few communities established but many are spread out to survive."

Fate turned to leave and thought of something "There are creatures that roam the country side that are quite nasty in disposition. They are opportunist predators and will eat locals as well as any other animals they find."

Hermione asked for a desk and chair, and then asked for paper and a quill. She began to write furiously. Harry bumped her "Hermione we can't take only books." He said mockingly with a laugh.

Hermione slapped his leg "Prat, I know that but we must have some way to take knowledge with us and I have an idea. If we take two or three of those new computer pads and computer disks they can carry a virtual library with us and it only takes the space of a couple of books."

Harry smiled "How will we charge them?"

Hermione smiled "With solar panel charging kits. We can take extras pads and charging kits for spares and it will cover most our needs for many years."

Harry nodded and then looked off into the distance "Hermione what tools should we take?" Hermione then looked off into the distance as if in thought from the question. Harry began to answer "Probable stone is the most durable material that would provide the best protection and shelter. Many metals are the most durable as tools." He stated with a hand on his chin in deep thought.

Hermione responded "What tool would you need the most to start making your own tools from metal?"

Harry looked at her "I would think an anvil and small hammer are things we could not live without. All the other tools I can make from there." Harry had a curious expression on his face as he snapped his fingers "We would also require a grinding stone as well. We can sharpen many things from it."

Hermione began writing a list of the things they were talking about. Within fifty minutes they had a list developed. Hermione had thought about defense and had a set of lightweight metal armor conjured for her and Harry. She debated for many seconds on providing a set of armor for Bellatrix but in the end she decided that it would be best to have it just in case.

Harry had requested large backpacks for all three of them. Hermione looked at him curiously before he answered "Well fate did say that we can take what the bag can hold and anything we can carry." Hermione smiled and then leapt into his arms.

Hermione smiled at him "You are bloody brilliant!"

Harry grinned "Language Hermione." which caused Hermione to laugh and then she did something very un-Hermione like…she flipped him the bird.

Harry chuckled his reply "Bad girls are so sexy."

Bellatrix chimed in "Then I am a bloody goddess to you?"

Harry without missing a beat retorted "Psycho bad women are not sexy."

Bellatrix frowned at his reply but did not counter with a response. She hesitated and then asked "Even in non magical areas potions can do many things. Why have you not brought anything for potions making?"

Hermione quickly turned to her in obvious surprise. As she thought this through she realized Bellatrix's suggestion was rather good. Harry looked at her and then turned to Bellatrix "Why don't you put that together a list of supplies and ingredients?" he asked her.

Bellatrix replied with a smug sneer on her face "That is what servants are for. I shall not dirty my hands with work."

Harry turned back to what he was doing and casually told her "That is fine but Hermione and I are not your servants and unless you find someone or something once you get there to do your work for you…" Harry turned to her and glared "Then I think it is safe to say you will starve, have no place to sleep or shelter. If you refuse to pull your load, then you will receive no help from Hermione and me, personally I don't care if you live or die."

Bellatrix turned to him with a smirk on her face "You need me to get what you need."

Harry did not flinch as turned to her with his hands on his hips to responded "No, you are wrong and presume too much. You only need to be redeemed. I have read of many accounts where people have their lives flash before their eyes before their death and realize all of their mistakes in life and that is a form of redemption. I don't have to help you live to get what I need."

Bellatrix took a step back before Harry told her sternly "If you don't pull your weight, then I will leave you to your own devices without food, water, clothing and anything else I choose. After you caused Hermione the pain you have and tried to steal my birthright I have no problems if you die. Your life has no meaning to me." Harry gave her a sly smirk "Quite frankly I see your presence on this journey as a liability regardless of what that crazy bastard fate thinks." Bellatrix gulped as she realized he was not bluffing and that her survival would depend on two people she had tried to kill many times in the past… that was not good.

She walked to the table and grabbed parchment and a quill and began to make a list. She spent the next twenty minutes gathering potions material and equipment and placing it in her backpack. She slipped Hermione a small list. When Hermione looked up at her she quietly stated "I think these five potions books will be absolutely necessary, the rest are nice to have but not required." Hermione nodded back to her.

Hermione came over to her three minutes later "I have all but one and it is a dark magic book that we will not take." Hermione stated to her. Bellatrix was about ready to reply before Harry cut her off.

"Hermione what book is that?" he asked her.

Hermione curtly responded "Dark potions and rituals."

Harry looked at Bella "Why do you need this?"

Bellatrix crossed her hands in front of her "It has an entire chapter devoted to very strong medical potions." She answered to him. "If this place is as hostile as Fate says then any of us that are sick or in pain will slow us down."

Harry watched her face and eyes for any deception "Those rituals are some of the darkest in magic and I see no value in them."

Bellatrix responded "The rituals are not what I am focusing on, only the potions."

Harry turned to Hermione "Have the actual book and remove pages 546 through 819 and keep in the book database. Give her the physical book without those pages and nothing else. Those pages have some very dark rituals that she will not need." Harry turned and went back to work. Hermione did not ask the question that came to mind as to how Harry knew this book so well.

**CHAPTER 4**

They had fifteen minutes remaining before fate's time limit was up. They began putting the armor on and then started packing the special bag that Fate had given them. When they finished with the bag they still had much more to pack. They each began to grab various things in groups and find space in their back packs. When they were stuffed full and no more can go in Hermione looked around.

"Harry all of this stuff remaining is probable going to be useful, depending upon how long our stay will be." Hermione stated in exasperation.

Harry looked around and firmly agreed with her. He conjured three smaller packs that had longer straps on them and then loaded each of them equally. Hermione and Bellatrix looked on with fascination while he did this.

Harry picked up Hermione's back pack and set it on her shoulders "Does that feel ok?"

Hermione nodded "This thing is very heavy. Much heavier than I thought." She added.

"Hold on a second." Harry told her as he then placed his hand on her pack before closing his eyes. In seconds Hermione felt the weight decrease significantly. Harry opened his eyes and stood unsteadily for a moment.

Hermione had turned to him with concern "What did you do?"

Harry grinned "I placed a light levitation charm on the backpack to help you. It took a lot of magic to do that much."

Hermione became excited "You can do magic here?"

Harry chuckled "Not very well obviously."

Hermione grinned "I don't know about that but for being dead yesterday I think you did pretty well." She said with a teasing voice

Bellatrix stood by her pack and snorted "God, if you have a snog fest I am going to be sick."

Hermione turned to her and then replied "If snogging Harry makes you sick then I am glad as he will be the only human male where we are going and I don't like to share."

"Please I can do much better. He has nothing I want." Bellatrix replied.

Harry went to Bellatrix and picked up her pack. Bellatrix had looked worried when he walked toward her "Turn around so I can put this on you." Harry told her. Bellatrix hesitated and then did as he asked all the while complaining about being a pack mule. As Harry eased the weight on her shoulders she groaned.

"This is very heavy!" she complained out loud.

Harry grinned at her "Shut it or I will make it heavier."

Harry did the same to her pack as he had done for Hermione and Bella felt the pack become lighter. Once finished he handed her the front pack and then helped her with the straps so that the pack rested on the breast plate of her armor.

Harry looked contemplative for a moment "This time when I did Bella's pack to make it lighter my magic was much easier to use and it was not nearly as draining for me." Harry closed his eyes and felt for his magic and the feel of it was much different than before. "This is very strange because if I didn't know any better I would say that my magic has changed… it's not worse just different."

Hermione looked gobsmacked "You can feel your magic? How long have you been able to do this?"

Before Harry could answer Bella chimed in "You can feel your magic… most magicals cannot." Bella's eyes widen suddenly "Can you change your sight?" She asked him.

Harry grinned "Yes, I can and I call it mage sight."

Bella looked horrified "You a mage! What level are you?"

Harry looked confused "What is the definition of a mage?" he asked her.

Bella gave a him a look that he could only be described as someone who was looking at a dense person "What in the Bloody hell was Dumbledore teaching you?" She shook her head "A mage is very rare it is a person who can feel their magic and see the ambient magic around them. A level five mage, the highest level mage, is said to be able to draw the ambient magic to their core to use and cause other magicals to be deprived of their magic."

Hermione looked thoughtful "That would certainly explain why you have been so powerful Harry and why your magic never seems to be depleted."

Harry replied "I have never tried to take another's magic away…I never knew you could do that and I have only ever used my mage sight to identify magical objects and people's cores."

Bella looked down "You can see a person's magical core…oh shit! I think Harry with the right training you are or will become a level five mage. You are or would be considered the most powerful wizard in history. Merlin was only a level four mage."

Hermione grinned "What was Voldemort and is that how you could find all of his horcruxes?"

Bella turned to them "You knew of my master's ability to be immortal?" Bella looked down in thought "How many did you destroy?"

Harry smiled "I didn't destroy his seven Horcruxes by myself. In fact Voldie shorts destroyed the next to last one when he killed me the last time. The horcrux that was within me died that day and then Neville killed Nagini so I could take out Tommy."

Bella looked at him in awe "He didn't even register as a level one. That explains why he could never defeat you." Bella had many thoughts running around in her mind about a great many things she had always believed in. Harry and Hermione, a half blood and a muggleborn, were known by the death eaters as some of the most powerful students to come from Hogwarts in recent history. To find Harry to be the most powerful wizard she had ever met, revealed many things that she had been taught that couldn't be true.

Harry went to his equipment and lightened it before carefully placing it on himself. He had just finished when Fate came into the chamber. Fate looked at them and then chuckled "Well I see that you have supplies. Did you bring food and water for the next couple of days?" he asked and this caused Hermione to moan.

Hermione looked dejected "No, I seemed to forget about that."

Fate snapped his fingers and a side bags appeared on each traveler. Fate smiled "It is not the most delicious but it will last you for three or four days."

Harry smiled and said "Thanks."

Fate began walking towards the chamber entrance and called out over his shoulder "Follow me please."

They walked through a few corridors and down two stairwells before coming to a door that looked very old. It had heavy iron hinges and hardware that seemed out of place. Fate stood before it and asked them "Do you have any last minute questions?"

Bellatrix did not reply at first then asked no one specific "Does anyone have a book on mages?" She looked at Hermione who shrugged and shook her head no. Bella turned back around and found fate holding out a significant thick bound book to her.

Bella looked at him before he smiled and whispered "What you are thinking is correct but I can assure you that he is way above level five… way above it!"

Harry placed his hand on the book and it shrunk down before a chain appeared on it so Bella could place it on around her neck. Bella expression hadn't changed as she looked dazed and kept watching Harry with awe. Hermione was starting to get a tad bit jealous.

Fate looked to Harry and Hermione and they shrugged their shoulders. Fate said with trepidation "This world can be very violent and you need to use caution until you understand the lay of the land." Fate turned to the door and pulled it open.

Harry and Hermione found a meadow with a high mountain far in the distance. The grass was greener than they ever remembered seeing. The trees and fauna looked slightly different as well. It could have been any place on earth. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and then looked at her "Hermione I will have no regrets as long as you are by my side and I will remember my promise to you and never ask you to leave my side. I love you."

Hermione took his hand and lifted it to her lips and then blushed before asking him "May I be introduced as your wife while we are here?"

Harry let out a huge smile "If I find you an appropriate ring while we are here can we make it permanent?"

Hermione smiled "Are you asking me…like proposing?" Harry looked a little embarrassed but was nodding his head. Hermione laughed and her cheeks reddened before she added "You are so on Potter. Hell, I don't even need a ring."

Harry chuckled at her "Well by all means, after you Mrs. Potter."

Fate stopped them and then placed his hand on their joined hands. He also placed his other hand in Bellatrix's. He gave a low inaudible chant and then Hermione and Harry felt rings appear on their fingers. Fate smiled upon them "I have blessed your union and given you a wedding present."

Hermione looked down at her ring "Oh Potter you are so getting lucky tonight… as long as we don't travel too far and I can still move." Hermione finished with a laugh.

Bella looked down at her hand and found a ring as well but before she could ask Fate got her attention and shook his head that she should remain quiet. Bella clamped her lips shut before Fate whispered "You will find out soon what it means but keep it to yourself."

Harry chuckled as they went through the door. He waited for Bellatrix to step by them and then placed an unobtrusive ward stone at his feet before he took his foot and pushed into the ground. Bellatrix asked "What is that for?"

Harry did not look up "It is a rune marking stone so that we know where we started and where the door we came in is. By the way I just embedded magic into the stone when I touched it so I would say that magic is present to this world but not known to the inhabitants."

Bellatrix replied "Fate said that magic wouldn't work here so what good does it do."

Harry pulled his sword from his sheath and stood with his eyes closed. He began to breathe deeply and then he felt his magic pool into his body. It did not feel the same as before. It was much different and he could not tell if the power was even the same. He pushed magic to his eyes and too his ears to finish the process.

Bellatrix moved a few steps away "What are you doing now she asked him?"

Bellatrix waited but it appeared that Harry was ignoring her. Hermione stepped to the side of her "He is feeling for his magic to see if there is any here." Hermione stated.

Harry smiled "There is magic here. It is different from earth but it is here. I think we should be careful and take it slowly until we understand it better." Harry opened his eyes and looked at both women and then his smile deepened "I have my mage senses as well or at least hearing and sight."

Bellatrix sputtered "What do you mean you have mage senses?"

Hermione grinned "Well that will be helpful to us."

Bellatrix screamed "That is impossible! There is no magic here."

"I know but regardless I am a mage and I can use the magic here, so I guess you may be wrong." Harry stated to her. "

Bellatrix became madder "You got lucky Potter that is all."

Harry responded "Yea lucky…seven times to be exact. I killed him on our first meeting, the next five confrontations were a draws and the seventh time I killed him because I matured magically. If that is your definition of luck I would love to hear your definition of skill."

Harry took a deep breath "Voldermort was dead when he entered the battlefield and he didn't stand a chance against me."

**Chapter 5 **

Harry moved his eyes around "There are subtle variances in light and dark around many objects here. On our world this would indicate magic forces interacting with each other." Harry suddenly looked at his hand that he raised to touch one of the lines. The line immediately redirected to enter his body and he felt a shift in this magic, like it had become stronger.

Hermione spoke up "I don't feel anything and I definitely don't feel my magic."

Harry looked closer at her and saw the lines of magic moving away from her. He thought that was odd and pointed his palm at her. He concentrated on the lines and imagined that they moved toward Hermione. He saw that they seemed to stop in mid air and then reversed to go towards her. Suddenly Hermione's Aura flared and then burst out in a concussive wave.

Hermione shuddered and then gave a little moan before she looked at Harry with much desire. "Harry James Potter what the Bloody hell did you just do?"

Harry looked at her "You looked like you were repelling the magic so I reversed it. What did you feel?"

Hermione blushed and looked down "I had about the best orgasm I have ever felt." Hermione closed her eyes and then opened them quickly "I can feel my magic now. It wasn't there before and now it is."

Harry turned to Bellatrix and she glared at him. Harry did nothing "Well are you going to ask me nicely?"

Bellatrix eyes turned colder "I do not beg."

Harry smirked "Suit yourself then." He stated before he went to Hermione and listened to her tell him how she had determined east to west with the sticks she had placed in the ground. Bellatrix stood there very upset. She stomped over to Harry and turned him around toward herself.

"What do you mean suit yourself. Return my magic to me!" she demanded.

Harry's smiling face disappeared "Number one I don't have to do anything to you and especially for you. You are a selfish bitch and I suspect you always have been like that. You expect people to just give you things because you are you. If you can't show me or Hermione respect then why should I do anything to help you? I just tolerate you and that is it. The more you squawk like a spoiled child the less I find reason to be tolerant."

Bellatrix stepped back as Harry became hostile towards her. Harry stepped into her space "If the shoe were on the other foot, would Hermione and I be dead right now?"

Bellatrix eyes flashed at what he was truly mad about. Internally she held her own counsel and admitted to herself that he and the mud blood probably would be dead if she could do magic. She looked back into his eyes and he recognized what her decision would be.

Harry seethed with rage "Fate believes you can be redeemed but I am not of that belief. Lucky for you I am also not a murderer. Harry grabbed her chin "As soon as I find a way to transport you far away from me and Hermione, I will do it. I don't need this and I don't need you."

Harry dropped his hand from her chin and began to turn from her but stopped just as quickly before he stood toe to toe with her again "Just a warning if you do anything that hurts or harms Hermione YOU are DEAD. I won't even hesitate. I will just kill you and bury you wherever we are. You are not important to me at all."

Bellatrix looked into eyes that were a cold and enraged green. She could tell that he was being truthful and honest with her. He would not hesitate to kill her and there was probable nothing she could do about it. Without her wand and her magic she was helpless as when she was a child and that made her feel vulnerable. She hesitantly asked him "What about what will happen to you if I don't survive here, you will be stuck."

Harry laughed at her "Yes, I would. No more fan girls, false people who want to know me for what I can do for them. I would be in my version of paradise where no one knows me and I am with the woman I love. The only problem I see in this Utopia is you are in the way." Bellatrix only reply was to gulp loudly and she felt real fear.

For the rest of that day she lagged behind the couple making sure not to antagonize them. She did not throw witty banter around. In her mind she felt like she was on borrowed time and the time keeper was the man in front of her whose only concern was the woman he loved.

She watched Hermione all day. She had many conversations with herself and often wondered what this witch had done to elicit such devotion. Bella even at her age was twice as beautiful as this slip of a girl. Bellatrix thought to herself 'Yes a slip of a girl that kicked your butt and didn't even break a sweat.'

Bellatrix had many surprises come at her today. First Harry was higher than a level five mage. A half blood at that and she didn't have but a small percentage of power he had at his command when she had magic. It didn't say much for the pure blood concept of being superior. Harry was evidence to the contrary.

Then what could Bella make of Hermione? A mud blood, who without magic kicked her arse. Bella quickly surmised that without magic, even as a pureblood, she was less than Hermione. What amazed her even more was how the two reacted to each other. All morning long they gave each other sly looks, they smiled or help each other often and they found any excuse to touch… simply for the joy of it.

As the day wore on she could see that Hermione was just as devoted to Harry as he was to her. She often sat back and thought of her own relationship…her marriage to Rudolphus. The memories she had were not good. When she compared her relationship to their relationship…she found hers was lacking and that thought saddened her immensely

As they reached a rise in the late afternoon, they spied a very beautiful valley, with a fairly significant river running through it. Harry watched the river from a distance and it seemed to have a significant flow to it. This could be useful and water was a necessity for humans and crops. Harry even noticed some cleared meadows where no trees or a forest got in the way.

The hill they were located on was one quarter a mile from the river and had four meadows within an eight to a sixteenth of a mile of each other. Harry called Hermione over and laid out a small plan for the lands use. Hermione listened carefully at each idea he brought up. She was astounded at his plan and realized it was very well thought out.

"Harry that is brilliant and I had not thought much past getting a shelter put together."

Harry turned to her "What kind of shelter?"

Hermione grinned "I thought a lean too was appropriate for tonight and then we would have to work on something more permanent." She finished.

Harry carefully told her "Remember what Fate told us there are predators here. Have you seen any?" Hermione shook her head no. Harry continued "They have to eat and I haven't seen anything today so that might mean they are only active at night. I don't think being on the ground with predators running around is a good idea. I think sleeping in a tree is much safer."

Hermione's eyes got wide "Oh, crap you are probable right. I hadn't thought of that." Harry placed her in a hug. Before he grabbed her hand and they traveled to the closet meadow to the river.

They went to the closest tall tree and dropped his pack and armor. Harry climbed it to reach about thirty or forty feet up into it. He threw a rope over a limb and then had Hermione tie his pack to one end. He looked at the horizon and realized that they had maybe forty or fifty minutes before the sun fell behind the horizon.

Harry quickly grabbed a small saw he had brought with him. He cut four branches about ten feet in length to bridge four or five inch size branches that were below him. In the mean time Hermione had climbed to just below him and sent the rope back down for Bellatrix to send her and Hermione's packs up. Hermione tied both to the tree. She then began cutting other limbs about ten feet to cross the ones that Harry already had lashed to the tree.

Bella tied the last bag to the rope and began her assent up the tree. She was cussing as the dress she was wearing was not made for climbing. It kept getting snagged on different branches. By the time Harry had lashed twenty or so branches Hermione had given him, they had a significant floor that would hold their weight. There was enough room for three people to sleep comfortably and enough places to hang their packs and equipment.

As Harry brought the last bag up, he noticed the distinct sounds of animals beginning to run around in the forest. As the last rays of light went out and the twilight darkened the night sky a lone growl could be heard on the other side of the valley. Hermione's eyes widening before she looked at Harry "Good call, I think on the sleeping in a tree."

Harry smiled "We didn't see too many flying things about so I think it was a safe bet the trees would hide us better. With my mage sight I can better judge the threats we might face on the ground after tonight."

Hermione shuddered "After hearing that thing growl I don't think a wooden house is a very good idea. Maybe a nice stone structure or a nice cave would be better." Harry smiled at her which caused her to blush.

Harry reached a hand out for hers "Why the blush?" he asked her softly.

Hermione scooted closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder "I realized that without you here I would be animal chow right now. All my brains and I forgot the most basic things about survival."

Harry chuckled "So we have Hermione's rule number one - Don't be any place to accommodate being something's dinner." Hermione had to snort before she laughed at that and caused both of them to have a fit of laughter.

Harry put his arm around her "What caused you to blush?"

Hermione did blush heavily this time "I had hoped I distracted you enough to not remember." Harry kept looking at her and waiting for her to answer his question. Hermione sighed and looked into his eyes "Since you fixed my magic I can't think of anything else but physically being with you…intimately. My thoughts have gotten more provocative the closer we got to the night."

Hermione was breathing much harder as she reached her hand around and held his head for a kiss and she didn't stop. Harry laid back and Hermione without breaking the kiss pounced to be on top of him. Hermione's hands reached down to get his pants open so that she could hold him. A feral keening noise could be heard emitting from her throat. Harry was both disturbed and enticed by the sound.

Hermione sat back and looked at him with extreme lust filled eyes. She removed her top and her bra and when that was off she started on Harry's shirt buttons. Once his shirt was off she lay back on top of him and began kissing with wild abandon. He could smell and feel her heat coming from her lower regions and before he knew it he had removed her pants and his as well.

Hermione tried to lift herself up and Harry pushed her shoulders back down before giving a low growl. This sent Hermione off and she gave no further resistance as he ripped her panties off from her. Harry began a time honored dance between a husband and a wife as with every high point Hermione release an animalistic howl to rival the predator they had heard from earlier. When Harry released, the predators left the valley as they had never heard this threat before.

Hermione opened her eyes to find herself below Harry and he was still inside of her. The twilight was just beginning to fade to indicate the morning was fast approaching. She looked at his face and found his eyes closed and he looked so peaceful. Hermione's hunger to feel him again overrode her need or his need for sleep. She began rocking slowly and Harry joined her in a minute.

Thirty minutes later Harry and Hermione were getting ready for the day as they ate breakfast and then began lowering the packs to the ground. Bellatrix had been quite since yesterday and Harry's insightful view into her necessity to be here. Last night she had stayed between lower branches to give them privacy but couldn't hold it in any longer.

She looked closer at Hermione and saw the satisfied smile on her face and knew that Hermione was in a very good mood. Bellatrix grinned realizing the noise those two had made last night had caused Hermione to feel this way. Bellatrix also realized last night her survival in this place, world, or whatever it was called, depended upon Hermione's acceptance of her. Harry would follow her lead so she adjusted her plans to get on Hermione Granger's good side.

Bellatrix coughed to get Hermione's attention "I see from your smile that you are very happy this morning." Bellatrix stated. Hermione stood up and gave Bellatrix a thorough examination with her eyes before she even thought about an answer. Bellatrix on the inside was scared but on the outside she radiated cool confidence.

Hermione finally looked back into her eyes "With you I don't like these bantering games. Frankly I don't trust you at all. Whenever you do things I will always assume your motivations are self serving and selfish." Bellatrix was about ready to say something but Hermione stopped her by holding her finger up to stop her "That being said you are a person and have needs too. We are here together and must reach some sort of an accord."

Bellatrix realized that Hermione was basically telling her to just come out with it. Bella relaxed "Fine, Harry explained his point of view about my being here. He wishes I wasn't and basically said that at the first sign of trouble I'm either dead or banished." Bellatrix took a breath.

"I realized quickly that if I want any type or sense of security that I must deal with you. You control Harry and I frankly don't want to die." After the animals I heard in the woods last night I wouldn't last more than a day or two out there."

Hermione was chewing her lip in thought while Bellatrix continued "Yesterday Harry asked me what would happen if my magic had been returned to me and yours had not… I replied with a look that indicated that you both would be dead." Bellatrix looked at her feet "I am not so sure that would be my response today."

Hermione had crossed her arms as she looked at Bellatrix and then asked "What changed this since last night?"

Bellatrix looked up in the trees and around her "The realization that this place is not earth, it is not home and you two are all that I know from there. To kill you would be a very lonely existence."

Hermione smiled "I think this is exactly the perfect place for you and your supremacy buddies to learn the stupidity of their argument. Because if you had your way you would either wipe out those not like you and you would be left in a situation much like this." Hermione held her hand out. "It would be a very lonely existence I am sure until those stupid wizards left, would wipe out the rest of the human race."

Bellatrix looked up and her eyes flashed at the implications of what she was saying. Hermione added "I hope you can get your mind wrapped around that. As for the here and now, Harry and I don't trust you. Harry and I have been so abused that our trust is very hard to earn."

Bellatrix looked impassive as Hermione continued "If we are going to make a go of this place there are many things to do. Harry has a plan and way to make our conditions better."

Hermione stepped closer to Bellatrix "Harry is the most forgiving, noble person in the world and I believe you can comeback in his eyes but not if you don't stop this banter about being better than everyone else." Bellatrix looked into Hermione's eyes "If you hurt him or cause him pain? I promise you that I will never let you see another sunrise. He has been abused enough and I won't stand for it."

Bellatrix stood with her mouth open in shock "He threatened me in almost the exact same way about your well being. Would you two be happier here all by yourselves, for the rest of your lives?"

Hermione looked around "It does not surprise me that he would say something like that. This is his version of Paradise I am sure. Very few people he has ever met in life have not hurt him and above all that he hates his fame."

Bellatrix looked stunned at hearing this about the "Golden Boy" Hermione continued "My world, my entire world exists within Harry and wherever he is, is where I want to be. I love him more than anything and I want him happy and that is all I want."

Bellatrix looked contemplative for many minutes. "What are our goals today?"

Hermione grinned "Harry wants to explore and find a place to start a structure for our protection and lots of other things. Are you willing to help?"

Bellatrix nodded "As soon as you change this dress into pants and boots I will be ready to go."

Hermione went to reach for her wand and began to laugh "I forgot they don't work here. Perhaps you should take the lower part of your dress off so I don't hurt you as I don't know how the magic will react here."

Bellatrix looked at her "Well there is no time like the present to find out or at least to try." Bellatrix quickly brought her finger up to point her finger at the younger girl "No wise cracks about me being a ginny pig thingy." She added.

Hermione giggled "No promises but I will try." Hermione then pointed her palm out like Harry had and then thought about what she wanted to happen. As she pictured new pants and boots on Bellatrix she pushed her magic through her. She felt a slight expansion of her magic and then opened her eyes to see Bellatrix in nice boots and pants.

Hermione grinned "Harry come here look what I did." She yelled out.

Harry came running up and looked shocked "You changed her dress to pants? How?"

Hermione smiled "Because of you." She told him with pride "You always said transfiguration was all about intent so I just pointed and thought about what I wanted."

Harry looked over "I wonder how long it lasts?"

Bellatrix looked troubled and Hermione asked her "What's wrong?"

Bellatrix quietly said "You didn't imagine me with knickers on and if these disappear I will be without apparel."

Harry and Hermione began to laugh and then Harry added "Well I don't plan on venturing too far away today. I am looking for material to build things with. I was hoping to find some stones, rocks and anything else we might be able to use."

Hermione spoke "I think we should stay together and then make sure we are back well before sunset." All three agreed.

**Chapter 6**

They had a fruitful day. Two miles out there was a mine with various ores inside. Harry was excited by the find but Hermione and Bellatrix didn't really understand what Harry was excited about. They kept moving and Bellatrix found a group of trees that had what appeared to be fruit on them. Hermione made sure nobody ate any until they had a chance to test it back at the tree.

By noon Harry had found a small quarry of fairly good sized boulders and he began using his new magic to extract them from the ground. With Hermione's help they were able to remove quite a few. Harry said that tomorrow he would come back and start on a shelter from the weather and their protection.

They found some other types of plants that looked edible and picked a few of each type to test. By late afternoon they ended up by the river and Harry saw several different types of fish that looked very tasty. He held his palm out and willed a stunner and he had two different fish in his hands to take back.

There was still two or three hours left to the day. Hermione and Bellatrix were working potions like there was no tomorrow which left Harry very little to do. Harry discussed with Hermione that this tree seemed to be the middle of all that they needed to sustain them from the valley. The only thing they lacked was water and if runes worked on this world which they believed because magic did exist, water was of very little concern.

Harry decided to walk to the small quarry to bring back as many rocks and boulders that he could so that tomorrow he would begin building them a permanent shelter. Hermione was very concerned that he was going on his own but when Harry, in frustration raised his palm and pointed to a tree and it disintegrated, she quickly abandon her argument.

Harry came back and hour later and brought a train of various sized rocks and boulders. The train behind him lasted a good fifteen minutes. Hermione watched in awe as boulders, some as big as double Decker buses, paraded by them. When he stopped Harry had a pile of them that were twenty meters high and one hundred meters long.

Hermione looked at a very smug Harry stroll over to the potions table they had set up. Hermione had a small grin on her face as she asked "How did you do that?"

Harry casually responded "With magic of course."

Hermione chuckled "Duh!" Bookworm here!" Hermione pointed to herself "Requires much more detail… that is what I live for!" she exclaimed.

Harry crossed his arms and gave her an odd kind of smirk for a few moments before responding "This is my I know more than my wife and I am gloating pose." He told her.

Hermione's mouth flopped open and a small tear rolled down her cheek as she stood and looked at Harry. Bellatrix stopped what she was doing and looked at him as well. She realized that Harry didn't know what he had just said as he stood there.

Hermione finally responded "Say it again if you really mean it Harry." She said very softly and then added "I need to hear it."

Harry looked confused "Say what...I'm gloating?"

Hermione shook her head "No, what are you gloating about?"

Hermione came around the table and stood before him "Is this how you really feel Harry? Is that what you want from me?" Harry looked down and nodded his head. Hermione asked him "Then why do you look like you have been kicked where it counts?"

Harry looked up at her "Because I made a right mess of letting you know how I felt. You deserve to be told properly and I would like to know it is what you want. Fate already married us but it was without consent…sort of"

Hermione smiled at him and she slowly leaned forward to tenderly kiss his lips before she took her hand and lightly smacked his face "There, now consider yourself chastised and punished." Hermione's smile made her eyes shine "Harry this would be a good time for you to go down on one knee and ask your wife properly before said wife must inflict serious harm on said dense husband."

Harry looked really confused "Hermione I don't have a ring handy." He stated to her.

She had a hard time holding in her laughter as Harry finally processed the rest of what she said. Harry eyes turned to shock and then of happiness and then he grinned before kneeling on one knee. Harry held on to her one hand

"Hermione I believe you know how very much I love you. I think most people in my position would want to go back home but I haven't felt that at all. Back home I can't be just Harry because of the fame that everyone places on me. I never asked or wanted that fame. I realized just this afternoon that the most important thing I needed was with me on this journey. It wasn't the backpacks the knowledge, or the things we brought with us. We took this journey, this path together because it was the one that would keep us together. Would you be my wife?"

Hermione with more tears in her eyes and a very happy smile held his face very close to hers "Harry James Potter that was the 2nd most proper and romantic action I have ever seen from you. When you and Fate told me you refused to walk any path that would exclude me, I realized that the pain from your loss was just as great for you as it was me and that was the 1st most proper and romantic action I have ever heard of. I want to be your wife more than anything and I want to give you something you want very badly… family. Yes Harry I will be your wife." Hermione leaned forward and kissed him.

Hermione held his hands in both of hers "You are so going to get lucky tonight!" Harry chuckled.

**Chapter 7**

The next morning Bellatrix announced that the fruit they had found was fit to eat and then she bit into one and moaned with a smile as the juices trickled down her chin. As Hermione and Harry finished climbing down from the tree she announced "Breakfast is served."

Hermione bit into the fruit and then fed Harry a piece as she smiled up at him. Harry looked into her eyes and realized how happy she was. "You know I have it made here. I have two women to feed my male hungers. One to feed me and one to satisfy my male urges. I don't think life gets any better than this." Hermione's eyes flashed open in surprise and her mouth was open. Harry started to laugh at her expression and Hermione thought about it and then she began to laugh.

A few minutes later she said out loud "Harry, I don't ever think I heard you talk like that before and I find it very invigorating. I like that you express things more and that you are starting to express your emotions." Hermione bowed her head "I have wanted you to show more emotion for a long time."

Harry leaned against a tree "I thought about it when Fate first mentioned that my lack of expression was what caused you to leave and to hide your emotion. It made me wonder how a boy who can face down a sixty foot basilisk and Voldemort could be afraid of his emotions. It didn't make sense because I am a Gryffindor, a house known for Bravery and being away from you made me realize that I fear losing you much more than I fear giving you the emotional support you need."

Hermione leaned next to him and faced him as Harry finished "I am working on conquering those fears and I very much want to give you whatever you need to stay with me."

Hermione placed her hand on his chest "I have issues too Harry and I want the same thing as you. I will not walk away from this, from us this time. We have the rest of our lives to work on these things. I am always on your side… always." Harry nodded his understanding.

Bellatrix who had been sitting on the log that was their table watched with interest. "I am very happy… no that's not quite correct… ok I am mildly amused that you lovebirds have your issues all worked out but I have a complaint that needs to be heard and some other things we need to discuss." She leaned back as she bit another fruit and smirked at them.

Bellatrix then casually took a knife from underneath her arm and flung it at the middle of the log table where it stuck. Harry's features darkened as he looked at the knife. "Where did you get that knife?" he asked in a cold tone.

Bellatrix did not lose the smirk "I have had it since I came here." She stated firmly. Harry looked surprised and then pushed Hermione to be a little behind him so he could protect her. Bellatrix eyes narrowed as she looked at Harry "I could have killed both of you in your sleep last night or the night before." She flippantly added "Gods know I wanted to last night as you were making enough noise rutting like animals for half the night. By the way stud you have quite the stamina there. I can see why Hermione looks…so satisfied!" She gave them both a wink.

Harry stepped forward "So why didn't you?"

Bellatrix jumped from the table and stood in front of Harry "Because I realized after our little talk on the first day and the talk I had with Hermione on the second day that I was on borrowed time. I had died and was given a second chance. Harry you are not the only one who felt pressure to be something you did not want to be." She stated with firm resolve.

Bellatrix then took her left sleeve and rolled it up to reveal that her Dark mark was completely gone. Hermione gasped in surprise. Bellatrix turned to face her "Surprised? I was too but it is definitely gone." Bellatrix turned and sat back on the table and then while looking at Harry she removed the knife and re-sheathed it under her arm. She smiled coyly at Harry "It has a special sticking charm and cannot be summoned."

Harry raised his arm "Accio knife." The knife looked like it was being pulled towards him. Bellatrix grabbed the handle and jumped up "Stop!" she yelled before ranting at him "If you are able to it will kill you. It is spelled if it does come out that way a poison is on it that will kill you with a mere scratch. If you want it that badly I will hand it to you so it is safe."

Harry raised his eyebrow at hearing this and then dropped his arm. Bellatrix took the knife out and then turned it so the handle was facing him. Harry looked at it and then into Bellatrix eyes before Bellatrix smirked at him "What does the caveman trust the psycho just a little bit or are you just confused?" Bellatrix turned to Hermione "How about you Bookworm, do you trust the Psycho?"

Hermione's eyes flashed in anger but she did not see mean intent in Bellatrix façade only…strangely enough…laughter. Hermione sighed "I suppose if we are not dead, then perhaps you have reason not to kill us."

Bellatrix smiled at her "So what is my selfish motivation for not killing you?"

Hermione gave a little grin "You want to live I suppose instead of being alone."

Bellatrix sheathed the knife and nodded in agreement "Yes, a world with no one is not a world it is just a boring place. It is much more fun to have others to torment and mess with." She added. Bellatrix sighed as she leaned on the log "I am not sure why but for some reason the anger I felt from before is not there. The reasons I used to justify my actions…seem very unimportant. I am not even sure they were really ever mine."

Hermione had been chewing her lip "Is this because you no longer carry the dark mark."

Bellatrix looked at her for a moment "That is part of the theory I have. However, I am not Lucius and will not take the easy excuse. It was part of it but not all of it. I do have the personality traits to be cruel but generally it was only directed at someone hurting my family. I think somehow that trait was enhanced."

Harry sat on the other end of the log "Like your family was only those of pureblood?" he asked her.

Bellatrix looked down "Perhaps that is possible but I am not certain." She shook her head to clear unwanted thoughts "All I know today is that I am not as angry and I don't hate either of you." Bellatrix smiled "Actually you both have impressed me greatly the last few days. For seventeen year olds and all the crap you have dealt with. You have it together."

Harry smirked "So the Psycho is impressed? I suppose I should say thank you."

Bellatrix looked at him with an expression she was expecting something. Harry looked over at her confused. Bella smiled "I am expecting a grunt or something isn't that what cavemen do to say thank you?" she laughed out. A second later she stated between laughs "You can keep your club to yourself. The bookworm has dibs on it already."

Pretty soon Harry began to laugh and then Hermione began to laugh as well. It took the next ten minutes for them to settle down. Once they had started breathing normally again, Harry looked at Bellatrix "What was the complaint by the way?"

Bellatrix grinned "Do you think you or your wife could place a silencing charm around yourselves at night. It is very hard to hear the night predators with the noise you make."

Hermione quipped "I will talk to the hotel management for you…see what can be done." This started another round of laughter.

Bellatrix had been sipping water and in thought "Harry, I might have a way that both of you can gain a little more trust in me. I am not sure if it will work here because of the difference in magic but if you are willing I would be too."

Harry looked up "What would that be?"

Bellatrix stated "You are the current lord Black and it is customary that Black family members make a fealty oath to you. Since Hermione is now your wife, she is considered as Lady Black to all Black family members. If family members swear fealty, then they cannot harm the current Lord and Lady of their house."

Hermione looked troubled "The problem is that magic did not manifest itself with our declaration this morning. Harry and I consider we are married but magic does not."

Bellatrix sat there stunned "Are you serious? You had a golden glow around you when you first kissed after the vows. Magic has recognized your union. I can't believe you didn't see it." Bellatrix looked perplexed and then thought of something "Harry use your mage sight and see if you can sense it?"

Harry pushed magic to his eyes and then was surprised to see a bright aura around Hermione and many lines of magic going back and forth between them. Harry asked "Do you know what it looks like."

Bellatrix answered "The only physical manifestation is a golden glow that surrounds the couple and it is described as a sharing or blending of their magic."

Harry responded "I don't see in colors with mage sight and there are a lot of magical lines moving back and forth between us."

"Imagine your mage sight is in color and then look again." Bellatrix stated.

Harry closed his eyes and then pictured the scene in colors. When he opened his eyes he was bombarded with brilliant colors all around him. Hermione and he both had a golden ribbon of magic that was wrapped around their bodies and the ends were wrapped around their hearts. "I think she is right Hermione. We have a golden ribbon wrapped around us and our hearts. I think it is a bond. We are also drawing magic from our local environment.

Harry turned to look at Bellatrix and found many lines of magic collecting around her. "Bellatrix when did you start feeling your magic again?"

Bellatrix looked shocked "I…I…" Bellatrix slumped down and sighed "Last night before I went to sleep. I felt my connection to magic again." Bellatrix looked at Harry "I know you have problems trusting others and if you felt more comfortable with me around and without magic I was ok with that."

Hermione looked at her with curiosity "You weren't going to do magic until Harry gave it back to you?" Bellatrix nodded her agreement.

Harry looked over to her "I could probable take it away again now that I understand it." Harry watched her reaction and she smiled "Ok, if that makes you feel better. I can handle it." Harry just looked at her in shock. That was certainly not what he expected.

Hermione sat beside Harry and held his hand "Or we could place her back in the family and have her swear fealty to us." Hermione looked into Harry's eyes "That could actually be better as then we could have a third magical to get this place going and defend it if we have too."

Harry smiled at her "Then it shall be as milady says." Harry stood up and held Hermione's hand to help her up as Bellatrix came towards them and went to one knee. Harry called for his sword Ethereal. He looked at it and had a strange thought "Bella, would you swear fealty or an allegiance to House Potter as well. If you don't it won't affect you coming back to the Black family but perhaps it would be a good thing if you do."

Bellatrix looked up at him "Are you sure Harry. I have much baggage that comes with me and by doing this any issue I have with the Ministry you will have too."

Harry smiled at her "Bella we are the last two Black family members." Harry felt choked up "All the others are dead. I think it is important and if Sirius saw you as I see you today. I think he would want it."

Bellatrix looked thoughtful for a moment "Harry I will accept Allegiance to House Potter on one condition." Harry nodded to her to continue "That we wait one year to see if I have truly earned it. If you feel I have, then one year from today I will gladly accept it." Harry smiled at her.

"I can live with that." He stated.

Harry then raised his sword and brought Bellatrix back to the Black Family. He then listened as she swore an oath to the new Lord Black and promised her allegiance to house Potter at sometime in the future.

Bellatrix stood before the two and then looked serious "I know you have your stuff together but I must point out that you are being to cavalier when we are in a place we know very little about." Bellatrix paused "I think we should all carry our weapons with us at all times or at least one sword and one dagger each."

Harry spoke up "But I have my magic so I can defend myself." He stated.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow "Tell me Harry how many spells can you fire before you tire? One, Two…ten?"

Hermione smiled and smacked his head "She has a point Harry. If we want to get things done then we can't all stay together for the whole day. It is better to be prepared than not."

They moved to get their things but Bellatrix stopped them "Wait; there are some other things we need to get straight." Bellatrix looked at Harry "I know you have a few skills with the sword but you need to practice to get better and your wife definitely needs to practice with one."

Bellatrix turned to Hermione "That fight stuff you used on me…you called it muggle style fighting, I think?"

Hermione answered "It is actually called Karate and it came from Japan."

Bellatrix smiled "Perfect, can you teach me and Harry?"

Hermione grinned "I think so."

Bellatrix clapped her hands together "Each morning we get up go for a little run, then practice swords for an hour. After breakfast we do what we need to do for the day and meet for another hour of Karate before dinner."

Harry asked her "Why do we need all this training?"

Bellatrix place her hands on her hips "Because we have been here three days and I am with Harry Potter. As I here tell you face danger on a constant basis. With you it's not a matter of if but when it will occur." She said with a laugh.

Hermione could barely contain her laughter as she walked away quickly. Harry turned and started walking away muttering under his breath "I think I liked the psycho bitch much better…." Harry mimicked Bella's voice "Being with Potter is dangerous…" Harry turned to her "I am telling you it's not my fault, trouble finds me."

Bellatrix laughed "You keep telling yourself that…big boy." Harry kicked the dirt in frustration.

For the rest of the day they stuck to their routine and Hermione had been working on a trench from the river to deliver water to each meadow, the new house, and for bathing. She was using her magic to dig a three foot wide by six foot deep trench to make a channel for water. She ran into a problem when she found a slight rise and since water does not go uphill she had to go around or through it.

She decided to go through but this brought many issues as well. She had to magically dig some and then banish the dirt to clear it out. She had also lined the bottom and sides with rock to help keep the water moving and clean. She was half way through the hill when she realized it was getting late and she would not be able to finish that day.

Harry and Bellatrix had been busy with moving, cutting, and setting the stone. Harry had set the first row and then looked back only to find that the heavier stones had settled much faster than the rest and this left an uneven mess. He removed the first row and then dug a trench down to a layer of rock about ten feet below where he had original thought it should be. Once he reset the first row, the stones that Bellatrix had already cut began laying much like legos. Harry applied a sticking charm to each side to make sure everything was firm.

By the end of the afternoon when Hermione returned, they had completed three sides of the interior walls to a height of ten feet. Hermione was duly impressed and said so. Within ten minutes they entered the new interior area and began Karate practice. Hermione ran them through several conditioning and punching skills. She next had them doing the basic kick. While Bellatrix was kicking, Harry would block thus getting practice for both people. All three were winded from the work out.

Harry was elected to cook dinner which consisted of fish and a little rice they had left over from their kit bags. That was the last of their food stores. The various plants they had found were found to be a mix bag of poison and edible greens. So they had the makings for salad and as Harry stated the fish were plentiful.

It was during their dinner that they finally met another life. A small lizard or dragon looking animal wandered close to their camp. They each watched the curious animal as it approached. It did not stop or delay its pace but kept moving steadily towards them. Harry set his small dish down and stood smoothly up to place himself before the animal and the camp.

Upon seeing the thing rise and stand between him and the delicious smells, the animal stopped and stared at the thing with curiosity. Harry did not move to approach and neither did the odd creature. Soon the creature moved a little to the side and began his pace again. Harry moved to step between himself in the camp to block him. The animal barked a little which sounded something like a cough or a sneeze.

Harry didn't move and it backed away and then went to its left to go around him. When Harry moved to block it again, it began a series of barks and coughs to show its displeasure. The creature did not move when Harry took his sword and turned the creature on its back. The creature became agitated and barked quite often. After five minutes of thrashing around and trying to roll over, it stopped its motion and breathed in and out heavily.

Harry felt sorry for it and took his sword again and flipped it over. The creature looked up at him and barked before taking off the way it had come from. Harry sat back down at the camp and shook his head "Interesting little creature and very persistent." He stated with a chuckle.

It was Hermione that spoke up and surprised everybody "We should have killed it and tested if its' meat was edible. Bellatrix and Harry looked at her oddly. Her cheeks blushed a little "Well, there is no telling what types of animals we will find here. I don't think we will find cows and chickens any time soon or if they even have them at all."

Bellatrix added in "She is right you know. That may have made a lovely little stew. If we see it or something similar again, we should kill it to test if it is edible or not."

**CHAPTER 8**

Over the next month they were able to finish their shelter and the irrigation ditch. Harry had completed four aqua ducts to irrigate six little fields. They had brought seeds with them and planted many types of vegetables, potatoes, wheat, and corn.

The little animal that had come into their camp found its way back the next night and as Bellatrix predicted, it did make a lovely stew. They also checked out the valley and the second week had a run in with one of the primary predators. It had almost struck from the back at Hermione but Bella saw it and placed a shield up so it couldn't touch her. It then went after Bellatrix but got only a few feet before Harry sliced it in two.

It was not as big as a nundu, a huge leopard from back home, but it appeared to be just as lethal. It had razor sharp claws that were over three inches long and two long teeth up front in its mouth. Harry followed a blood trail back to a small copse of trees and found what looked like a larger deer or elk, or at least it looked very similar.

They settled into a daily routine with relative ease. With the finding of the deer, Harry then found tracks for a herd of them and was able to kill one with his bow and arrow. They had made a stasis charm on one room in the new house and placed the meat from it in there. From then on he had to kill one every three or four months.

Hermione on one of her forage trips found birds in a cliff. When she checked the nest she found an abundance of eggs. She cracked one open and found them to look very similar to chicken eggs but the yolk was orangish red instead of yellow. Hermione began to stun about ten of the birds and then placed them into her back pack to take back with her.

On her return, she created an avery of sorts next to the exterior wall. Harry had finally completed a huge door that closed so that animals could not walk into the interior space. Hermione completed nests for the birds and fed them fish for a week. Once the birds were comfortable with their surroundings she removed the netting and they remained to provide eggs for the three.

The fields did well and they were able to harvest and had the stasis room well stocked and bursting at the seams with food. They all agreed that their effort had been well worth it. Harry had finished the outer walls of their shelter and then filled in the space between with dirt gravel and anything else he could find. He tamped it all down and placed smooth rock on top to form a floor. The ramparts were complete and he could walk all the way around the entire structure from the ramparts.

The other significant completion for the shelter was the outer and inner doors. From the small mining he had done he had found three ores that when mixed made a light weight and sturdy material that was durable and he could fashion any number of things from the metal. One thing he did fashion was chain and he used it to devise a mechanism that with one move of a lever could close all three doors.

One metal he found had an outstanding magical property and with his mage sight he began to understand its value. The three experimented and were soon able to fashion rune stones with the special metal inlaid. They warded the house so that bugs, crawling things, and other vermin would not come in to the shelter area.

It was six months after they had arrived that they had their first visit from the inhabitants. Ten humanoid, bipedal types with dark eyes arrived on what Harry considered to be a cross between a horse and an elephant, minus the trunk. The animal looked fast and awkward at the same time. He was amazed that it could even walk with the weight it obviously carried.

The beings were not as strange as some of the beings they had met in the magical world such as trolls and Goblins. The beings were slightly taller than humans with a lean frame. They had longer hair that cascaded down their backs. They only had two shades of hair golden blonde or a light brown with reddish undertones.

Their arms appeared to fit their frames and they did have ten finger and toes. Their faces were gaunter and had angular features that ended with their very pointed ears. Their lips and noses were thin which fell in line with their angular features. Their eyes were bigger but had more slant than a normal human. They were really not much different than humans in many respects.

The men arrived and Harry, Hermione, and Bella stood out front of the main door. Harry watched all of them as they arrived but did not dismount. The one that obviously looked like a leader stated something that sounded much like language but was very indistinctive to individual sounds.

Whatever was stated caused one to dismount and pull a pike weapon from a side holder and approach the three. The man or thing looked rather nervous as he held the pike close to his shoulder. Harry withdrew his sword and held it down as did Bellatrix and Hermione. This caused the leader to sit up as he had never seen weapons of this kind, nor had he ever met creatures like the three in front of him.

The leader and tax collector for the Wistin Empire, Trenvon, had not been here in two seasons. He felt from the way they watched that they seemed intelligent but did not react to his speaking, thus he had reasoned they were dumb animals to be herded to where he wished. As his guard approached them to do just that they drew short shiny sticks out and pointed them to the ground.

The guard stopped and the one with short hair held his hand up and shook his head from side to side. He made a sound that was not speech to Trenvon. He was a representative of his king and these, whatever else happened they were must obey him. He stood and yelled at the guard to proceed when suddenly the guard was thrown back over a hundred yards with a sickening crunch.

Trenvon was shocked and surprised as these creatures had not moved at all. At first Trenvon was not sure what to do but one of his guards was dead. He would have to explain this somehow. He yelled and made gestures to another guard who dismounted he took a club from a side pouch. The guard moved to the creatures and he looked very threatening. Harry sized him up quickly and held his hand up to stop him. The guard kept coming.

Harry knowing what was coming raised his sword above his head and crouched down in anticipation of an attack. The guard saw this as a clear challenge and began to move faster. Harry waited until he was almost upon him before moving to the side and with one move severed the guards arm holding the club. Harry then surprised the guard even more when he turned backwards and threw an appendage at him that caught him in the chest and he flew backwards more than ten feet.

The creature looked mad and angry as his eye flashed with power. Harry then moved back to stand where he had been with the sword pointing downward. Trenvon was stunned as this thing had bested, with little effort his best guard. What was he to do now? Trenvon then looked around and began noticing things he had never seen before. The rock pilings that created a wall and there was an opening that they came from the same pilings. There was water flowing in a depression behind where the three stood and something they made to cross over the water. On the way in he had witnessed a clearing with some kind of strange plants in rows. This whole entire ordeal was completely beyond his understanding.

The one thing he did understand is these three were making him look bad in front of his people his standing and power were being reduced. That he could not have.

Harry heard the proposed leader give the guttural sounds that he began to associate with the inhabitant's language. He then witnessed activity from the remaining guards that indicated they were preparing for battle. Harry turned his head slightly "Be prepared I think they are going to attack. Any suggestions on how we handle this?" he asked the pair.

Hermione answered quickly "We have no information on these people at all. This is not going well for a first contact."

Harry muttered "Tell me about it! They do not take time to try and understand us and they have been aggressive, not us."

Hermione retorted back "That is not what I was talking about. Unless we are willing to do what they want, we have had no choice in our actions." If they fight we must respond. I want one prisoner and I am going to choose the one with no arm. I can render a little assistance and stop the bleeding so he will live. Perhaps they will pause to think when they see that we can heal."

Harry turned to nodded to her "It is worth a try. Do not expose yourself."

Hermione went to the last guard and then levitated him back to where Bellatrix and Harry were standing. This caught the leader and the other guard's attention. When she leaned over the dying guard and ran her hand over the newly formed stump, everyone could tell that the bleeding had stopped.

The remaining guards began a discourse among themselves that became more animated and lively within minutes. The leader then started yelling and making gestures until a lone guard behind him took his pike and ran it through the leader. The remaining guards moved towards Harry until he raised his sword, they then promptly threw down their pikes, and hide armor before him. In any culture or language this was understood as they surrendered.

Bellatrix conjured a cot and some shelter for the wounded soldier as the others looked on. Veldane was slowly becoming aware as he was moved from the ground onto something comfortable and his head was laid on something soft. The pain from his arm was greatly diminished and he looked into the creatures eyes that were helping him.

He was fascinated and terrified by the creature's looks. He said his gratitude in his language but got no response in return. He was too hurt to get angry about it. The one different from these two had placed the shiny stick back into something to hide it. As the strange thing drew closer to him, Veldane tried to move away from him in fear.

The one who was making him feel better held him down and Veldane soon accepted the fact that he was about to die. He tensed for the blow but felt only a hand on his shoulders and very strange sounds coming from an opening in the different ones head. Veldane somehow felt more at peace and then calmly closed his eyes before he fell asleep.

Harry looked at Bellatrix and Hermione "OK, so we avoided a battle but now what do we do."

Bellatrix closed her eyes and took a deep breath "I sense great fear and uncertainty as if the air surrounding us. They expect death to come." She opened her eyes and looked at Hermione "I think the bookworm was right. We should take this time to learn about whom they are and what they are about. If these are the inhabitants of this place we should learn all that we can about them and the best way to do that is live around them."

Harry looked at her curiously "But can we trust them?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders "I believe they are afraid of us enough that should not be a problem. After all they are expecting to die. Let's help them to live and learn from them."

Bellatrix headed out of the little shelter "I will help them to kip out here and set up a paddock for their animals." Bellatrix soon had the inhabitants moving about even as dazed and confused as they were.

Hermione looked down at the being laying there without an arm and was thinking out loud. She handed Harry a vial "Collect some of his blood from the ground, I need to test it. I might be able to give him a potion to regrow his arm." She told him. Harry smiled as he did as she asked.

Over the next month, the eight remaining beings began to interact more with Harry, Bellatrix, and Hermione. They found out the food they seemed to eat, how they slept, drank…how they lived. Hermione began taking notes about the many observations she made. A couple of the beings became very curious about the thing Hermione was doing to make markings on the strange white thing.

They attempted to mimic her actions with sticks on the bare ground. Hermione noticed and smiled. She then grabbed a stick and began to mimic them which caused the beings to emit a throaty noise that Hermione soon associated as laughter. Hermione then began to draw objects around her and then place the English words next to them.

Within a week Hermione was exchanging sounds for the English equivalent. No matter how either Hermione or the beings tried, they could never mimic each other's language. Hermione surmised quickly that neither of their physical vocal cords could do it. Frustrated she began to try another way to communicate as sounds were impossible except for the basics.

Hermione reviewed many books in the electronic library and discovered that magical people did not have sign language. Hermione did not bring muggle books and they found no reference for a signing system.

The beings began to follow Harry, Hermione, and Bellatrix as they went about their daily activities. Soon the beings were helping cultivating the fields, collecting fish, fruits and berries, and other work in the valley.

Harry was trying to explain a complicated task for one of the beings to do and could not think how to do it. In frustration, Harry pushed some mental images to the being. The next thing Harry knew the being began doing the complicated task. For the rest of the day Harry used passive legimancy to observe the beings thoughts while working, communicating, or interacting with others.

Harry kept seeing images in his mind from the various beings. He soon realized when he went to his mage sight that the sounds they emitted were basic things that were then supported by images sent to the others. He could clearly see the magic coming to and going from each one. It was a form of telepathy.

That evening Harry informed the others and they began to observe by legimancy the same thing. Bellatrix and Hermione began to change the way they were interacting with the others. If they wanted to explain a task they used pictures with their minds and soon it was being done.

Veldane had been amazed that within a month he had regrown a new arm. The thing kept giving him a terrible tasting liquid, he thought was poison at first, was actually helping him to regrow his arm. Hermione had used pictures to explain it to him. Once he understood he gladly took the potion every day.

Veldane also became fascinated by the darker haired thing and had begun to follow her wherever she went. Bellatrix at first was somewhat annoyed by his constant presence around her. When she realized that he was curious and not planning on killing her she lightened up. Soon whatever task she worked on Veldane helped her.

Within the month they had began communicating mentally and by the following month they could carry a seamless mental conversation. Bellatrix found it comforting at a strange level. By the next month they were able to convey small bits of humor.

Hermione commented to Harry when Bellatrix and Veldane walked by "I haven't seen her smile this much since we have been here."

Harry bumped her shoulder "I think it is good for her, don't you?"

Hermione nodded to him "I do. They seem to be quite close."

Over the course of the next year the little group of three humans and eight high guards as Harry found out one day, they grew to thirty-six. As others wandered into the valley and were soon incorporated within the group.

With the high guards help, Harry had expanded the irrigation ditches and the number of fields to twelve. The high guards had used materials to expand the buildings around the original stone shelter that the three humans had built. A small town was springing up. Hermione and Bellatrix had perfected the runes for providing water and sanitary removal of waste.

Harry on a trip with several high guards looking for more raw materials witnessed the first act of magic by them. The high guards had always stated that they were close to nature. They generally held nature as a deity as the land, the water, and the forest had provided for their needs. When Grentrost, one of the first eight guards, had wanted a walking stick while hiking, he became frustrated because he could find no sticks for his need. He went up to a tree and placed his hand upon it and then directly requested by visualizing what he needed.

Within less than ten seconds a flash of light brought the groups attention that Grentrost now had a walking stick in his other hand. Harry had to blink a couple of times to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing. When he switched to his mage sight he found multiple lines of magic flowing into the tree and into Grentrost. Harry inspected the stick and found a magical construct that was very, very stable. It appeared that this stick would last a very long time.

On the next day he noticed that three other high guards in this group had magical lines flowing to them. He tested his theory by asking the three to hold their hands over a promising site for another type of ore that had been unknown to him. After twenty seconds of concentration Larth, a very new member to the community, had two piles of the metal without the stone or dirt. To Harry this could only mean one thing, the high guard were developing magical powers.

Upon his return Harry sat with Hermione, who was by then seven months pregnant with their first child, and Bellatrix to discuss their discovery. Bellatrix admitted that on many nights she was sleeping separate from Veldane when she had awoken the next morning and found him holding her.

Hermione was chewing on her lip in deep thought and then answered "I believe we are witnessing their magical awakening. They are probable going to be very good at transfiguration and that is why they have manifested magical transport and manipulating elements to do their bidding. It is my belief we should teach them what we know and help guide them. There is no telling where this might lead." She ended in excitement.

Bellatrix began "We might as well begin a school as several in our community have already given birth as have you. Our children will need an education."

Harry arched an eyebrow "Our children" he said with a grin. Bellatrix blushed as Harry added quickly "Has the Psycho gone native on us?" which caused Bellatrix to blush even more.

"Veldane has slowly crept into my life and I can't help but feel comforted by it. My major concern is that what are we going to do if this ends today or next week and we are asked to go back?" Bellatrix looked out the door "Every day I am here, the more resolve I have to never go back to what we had. It was shite compared to this." Bellaterix let a tear roll from her eye "I am worried for Veldane and the life I have inside of me and what pain that would cause them."

Harry took the chair next to her and held her hand "I sense you are worried about this too and I believe it would hurt you greatly." Bellatrix gripped his hands as the tears began to flow freely.

Harry rubbed her back "Bella no matter what happens Hermione and I will always try to help you get what you want. If you want to stay here, then if I have to I will fight Fate to make sure it happens."

Bella threw herself into his arms after he told her that. It was only a minute later that Veldane was standing at the doorway watching Harry hold Bella and soothe her. He made no move to try and comfort her but let his presence be known if she needed him.

Hermione cleared her throat "Hey Psycho, are you pawing on my husband?" she asked her.

Bella smiled up at her while her head was on his shoulder "Maybe a little, are you jealous Bookworm?"

Hermione chuckled "Well, I'm not but your husband behind you might be."

Bellatrix laughed "I knew he was there already. He let me know that if I needed anything to let him know. He is not the jealous type." Bella stood up and smoothed her dress out and then walked over to Veldane. She hooked his arm with hers and turned to leave. "My husband and I are going to look for a sight to build a little home for a nest. So see you later."

Life was getting better every day and the small town turned into a settlement of nearly 1,000 people by the third year. The central area where Harry and Hermione's house resided had developed a lot more. Hermione had taught everyone how to barter and before they knew it they found a different metal that had little use other than for money and they developed a small scale banking system.

Others had come and gone from the community and one industrious High guard had built a harbor and dock on the river. Trade was coming and going through the valley and more high guard were seeking the quality goods coming from the settlement. Harry and Hermione along with a newly elected town council determined to call the settlement by a name. They finally chose to name this settlement New Phoenix city. Most of the high guard did not understand the reference but very much liked the mental image of a flaming bird rising from the ashes.

Bellatrix now had three children ranging from six months to almost three years old. Sarah Michelle Veldane was the oldest, and then Sirius James Veldane was next, followed by their youngest Andromeda Calliope Veldane. The industrious High guard who had developed the harbor was Veldane with Bella's help and they were doing very well for themselves.

Harry and Hermione had built two structures in the previous time and was a general goods store and the other was potions ingredients and hardware. Hermione had classified many of the plants, animals, and other ingredients that were being used to make potions. She had also developed a compendium or instruction manual for mixing the ingredients for the various potions.

Harry and Hermione had three children James Harold Potter was the oldest at three years old, then Remus S. Potter, was two, and finally Lilly Jane Potter was one. Harry and the rest of the community were extremely happy that almost 11 % of the population was children. The community was growing and it was a wonderful thing.

**CHAPTER 9**

As no good deed goes unpunished, others from afar had heard of the vast riches and the style of living that the New Phoenix City had. They decided that they wanted it for themselves. On a pleasant spring morning, one hundred soldiers marched to the center city and declared this as their property and told all that were there to leave or die.

Harry and Bellatrix were out on a two day exploring trip and Hermione was on her own. Hermione asked who they were and asked to talk with their leader. A very squat man a little shorter than Hermione waltzed up to stand before her. Hermione had her sword and he had only a dagger and some heavy cloth armor.

Hermione merely glared at him and then snapped her fingers and her complete armor appeared on her. The shorter man's eyes flashed with fear when Hermione's never faltered from her glare of him. Hermione used a sonorous on her voice "Who are you?" she boom so all could hear in the valley.

The high guard residents began to move to surround the soldiers. Hermione looked up and within two minutes there were more high guard than soldiers. The soldiers who were still mounted began to get nervous and fidgety as they noticed that many within the crowd had sticks at their side. This did not go unnoticed by their squat leader but he still persisted.

The squat man looked very frightened "I am Dominco and my people hail from the east. My people are the Vatswaine and are a mighty kingdom. We are a very small scouting party sent to claim our kingdom's rights to this land.

Hermione began to laugh at him and she could tell his face was turning purple with rage. Hermione drew her sword and pointed it at him "You will not win!" As she said this about two hundred High Guard citizen's drew their swords and pointed them at the trespassing army. The Vatswaine Army realized they were outnumbered.

Hermione deftly swung her sword and split the man in two. She looked at the remaining men lined up on their mounts. "Do any of you wish to claim to be the new leader?" No one came forward and many moved away from her.

"Go forth and warn all others who wish to trespass on New Phoenix city that it will not be tolerated. If you come in peace you are welcome." She yelled at them.

Upon Harry's return the next day he was besieged by all manner of questions. Hermione had made her way over to him and before he could say a word Hermione gave him a searing kiss. The crowd that had gather turned very quiet as a low feral growl could be heard from the man they considered the leader of the Army.

Without hesitation Harry placed Hermione over his shoulder and ran to their house. Hermione could be heard giving a keening noise. A shop keeper smiled and mentally told another that a child could be expected in nine months, at least that is what happened the last time. Within minutes the "Beast of the Valley" could be heard by all.

Hermione was lying on her stomach with her chin resting on her crossed Arms. The smile on her face really said it all. Harry was resting next to her as he gave light tickling caresses on her back. Harry pulled her long hair away from her neck and began to kiss just below her ear. Harry stated between kiss "Not that I don't appreciate your welcome home but what happened while I was gone?"

Hermione rolled over so that she was below him "Oh, nothing much a few squabbles her and there. Jaime scraped his knee and I drove off a hundred conquers by myself."

Harry sat straight up "You what?"

Hermione almost couldn't hold it in "Well yesterday a hundred soldiers came to the city square and announced they were claiming the city for themselves and told everyone to leave." I asked for the leader so we could talk and he came to me then I cleaved his body in half and asked for a new leader. None came so I ordered them to leave and to tell everyone else to come in peace or die."

Harry began to laugh "Well I feel so much better now. You really cleaved a man in to two pieces?" he asked in disbelief.

Hermione wrapped her arms around him "Yup! he fell to pieces right in front of me." Harry groaned at the silly play on words. It was moments later that Bella came swiftly into the room.

"Get up you two. Veldane and I just returned from Krive. There is an armada of warships headed this way. Hermione it appears that the leader you cleaved in half was only a small scout contingent of a much larger force. They are the Vatswaine kingdom with a force of about 10,000 strong. 7,000 will come by land and 3,000 are going to come by water. They will attack in five days time."

Harry looked at her "How did you find all this out?"

Bella continued "Veldane and I were in a drink house conducting business when five foreign soldiers came in. I did legimancy and saw their plan."

Bella paced "This is the largest threat we have faced and word is out that we do not look very thorny and the rose of our work is too great a prize to pass up."

Harry chimed in "This is the fifth attack in the last year. I think we are going to have to do something about the political situation in order to stabilize things."

Hermione chimed in "Yeah, well life can never be too peaceful. What are we going to do?"

Bellatrix stood up fully "I have a plan to deal with the armada. Veldane has been working on a type of cannon using a banishing charm. If we take the three ships we have in two days with five of these cannons on each, I believe we can engage and defeat them on the third day. That will give us one day to return and another day to prepare for the ground assault.

Bella looked at them "You two will have to be the ground commanders to prepare for the ground assault."

Harry with a snicker bowed "Yes your highness."

Bella chuckled "Can it Potter. This is a big force and one of the soldiers indicated that this Army has some kind of secret weapon. His mind believed it had something to do with the air but did not know anything more than that."

Hermione chewed her bottom lip "The air huh? I wonder if they have found something that flies and that can hold weapons or can use weapons."

Harry stood and gathered his pants "Whatever we are going to do starts with the city council. We will need their help in getting the city prepared."

Bella started to leave "I will get the council ready. Hurry we have a lot to get done."

Hermione looked at Harry "Have you ever seen her like this?" Harry indicated no to her.

"She is very decisive when she makes a decision and that makes me feel like we are doing the right thing." Hermione added. Each of the three had put on their armor to indicate this was serious business to the settlement.

They arrived at the city square to a full crowd. Harry asked a group of metal magi's to begin making swords, shields, and light armor. They left within five minutes. Harry then turned to the mining magi's and sought council with them as to how they could help. They developed a plan and then left promptly.

Hermione had been working with the wood magi's to discover that they had developed the cannon's for Bellatrix's ships. They conferred and soon had another cannon design to take care of anything from the air. After thirty minutes the crowd had thinned as people started their tasks.

Bellatrix stood before the council members "It appears that our valley has become known in other kingdoms. We prosper because of all of our hard work and the word is out that we have a good living and others wish to take it from us."

A female high Guard named Arthaine spoke up "Madam Bellatrix, it is due to the three of your guidance that we prosper and live so well. This council and its ability to function are by your leave and every army that has come here causes us to grow because they defect. I came with the last would be conquers and within three months I sit on the council. Our world hungers for this way of life and most importantly your leadership."

Bellatrix "I thank you…"

Arthaine smiled at her "I am not finished!"

Bellatrix bowed her head to show deference. Arthaine continued "In any other place in this kingdom had I interrupted a leader, I would be dead where I stand but not in New Phoenix City. Here I have rights, I can learn and I can grow but the most important I can watch my family grow." Many in the crowd muttered that they felt this way too.

Bellatrix looked at them "I thank you for the confidence you have shown us every day but I am not sure where this discussion is going."

Another well thought of council member moved forward and bowed "Perhaps then Bella we can enlighten you. You, Harry, and Hermione lead us and guide us to a better life. Not only that but you teach us what we need to know freely and without reservation. We trust you implicitly and wish for you to represent us as our queen to all outsiders."

Bella mouth flopped open "Wait, I never wanted that. We have a council for a reason. We can all do this together and I do not see where a queen is necessary."

Harry spoke up "Bella, there is a wisdom in this. If everyone defers to you then it becomes much simpler for everyone."

Bella turned on Harry "Oh, no you don't Potter. This whole place is because of you and the bookworm. It is because of you and her…" Bella stretched her arms out "That all of this even exists. You should be the king because most of this came about because of you."

Hermione smiled at her "While this is true Bella, neither Harry nor I are adept at Politics but you are. I am the knowledge for you to rule wisely." Hermione kneeled and placed her fist over her heart before she bowed. Harry watched with a small smirk and then looked at Bella whose eyes were wide "I am the enforcer, and the way you exercise that power." Harry then aped Hermione's actions.

When Harry kneeled, so did the rest of the council. Bella stood with her hands on her hips and huffed. Then she got an amused look on her face. Hermione whispered to Harry "She is so going to kill us for this!" Harry just snickered at her comment.

Bella then responded "You want a spokes person for our city I get that but no one person is ever qualified to speak for so many. I will accept your offer to be queen for New Phoenix City but there are some conditions." Bellatrix smiled.

Arthaine spoke up "Conditions? What Conditions?" she asked.

Bella grinned "You speak for the people and were elected to represent them. I can never, ever take that away. You are the Phoenix council and are forever emplaced to keep the high council in check. If the nine so rule, by unanimous decision, you can overrule the high council."

Bella sighed "The high council will consist of me as the political arm or Queen, Hermione as our knowledge and wisdom, and Harry as our Military arm and industry. Each of us has equal say in the high council. Bella turned to Harry and Hermione "You will rise and stand with me." She stated to them.

Harry and Hermione stood up and took places behind Bella "In New Phoenix City, it is illegal for any one person to act for the entire city. At a minimum, it takes the high council's agreement to perform any action and it must benefit all of us." Bella looked at each council member "If this is not acceptable then I suggest you find a new ruler as it will not be me."

Harry and Hermione both placed their hands on her shoulders and said together "We agree with the wisdom of our Queen and bring forth this to the council for ratification or rescinding." Hermione continued "It is for this that we need the full Phoenix's council's agreement to continue."

The council joined hands and voted as they grabbed the next council members hand after they affirmed or denied the action. The entire council voted 'Yes' and inducted the three to the high council.

Bella whispered to Harry and Hermione "You two were enjoying that way too much." She smiled at them "So what do you think of my response?" Hermione chuckled "Bella, this set up is perfect as no one group has absolute power over the other and no one person has absolute power. This could actually work. It's brilliantly psychotic!"

Bella just laughed "I know it was one of my more lucid ideas." This made Harry chuckle too.

The council gave a slight bow "We await directions from the high council."

Bella then proceeded to tell the council of the news they had just learned and their intentions in regards to it. She then gave directions to the council that must be followed to meet the coming threat. Bella then turned to Hermione "I want wards at the valley entrances to repel all that we do not want in our valley." Bella then turned to Harry "How many men would it take to guard the valley's entrances?"

Harry thought for a moment and did some internal math "I would need a force of sixty men to cover it twenty-four hours a day."

Bella turned to the council "I will need sixty volunteers for valley guards. I need forty-five men to man the ships and cannons and Hermione will need ten volunteers to be ward and rune masters." Harry had closed his eyes and had lifted his arms outstretched to his side. Everyone could see that he was concentrating.

In a moment, the ground beneath their feet began to vibrate and a polished solid, stone floor with a design could be seen. Harry then made a stone hollow triangle counter with steps at its rear, rise to be five foot above the Phoenix council floor. He next made three long stone tables appear parallel to each segment of the triangle. Then without further preamble walls, ceiling, and doorways appeared to enclose the place. Harry then lowered his arms "This will be the seat of our government hence forth. Please go and get the volunteers we asked for and have them return by early afternoon here. Everyone else prepare to defend our home."

The entire council left quickly. Bella turned to them Veldane is working the cannons and ships and does not need my assistance right now. Hermione I was fairly good at runes work but was crap at charms. So I can help you if you want."

Hermione grabbed Bella's hands and they departed. Harry stood for a moment and thought about what he would need to make the defense work. He realized quickly that he needed a bird's eye view of the area and the valley to determine to best way to defend it.

**CHAPTER 10**

Harry had been trying for months to come up with a way to be able to fly. He had made one broom but even though it could fly by itself, it did not hold a passenger. He had been very frustrated. Last week he had found a stone/ crystal like material with amazing magical properties. It took very little of his magic to rise and stay aloft. He had not had the time to conduct trials with him flying it.

There seemed very little time left and much to do. Harry thought to himself 'No time like the present to find out if it will work. Preparing defenses was just too important. He needed a plan to negate to coming armies six to one advantage over his army. He also realized he had to be ready in case Bella's plan failed to neutralize the river forces. The whole valley was wide open to the river.

He found the crystone, as he called it and began a series of spells to chip away its irregular shape to make it more discs shaped with a curved bottom. He finished within fifteen minutes and balanced on top of it. Once he had his balance he began to push his magic into the disc and felt a slight rise. He was beginning to become disappointed as he was pushing a lot of his magic into it and getting marginal results.

As he was about ready to give up, he felt the rush of wind blowing his hair. He looked out and realized he was higher up than he believed. He was slightly above the treetops. He felt the Crystone and then turned to mage sight and found that very little of his magic was powering his flying disc but at his feet was an immense amount of power stored in the disc. He gave a small smile as he realized that his little device could be charged and used for later.

Harry continued to raise his elevation and was soon almost above the rim of the valley. As he looked over the rim it soon became apparent that there were only three natural entrances as the rest of the rim was too craggy and dangerous to bring a sizable force through. They could get a smaller detachment but with minimal manning he could defend and negate any advantage that would bring. What route should he try to bring them in? As he scanned the rim and its outlands he determined that he should block one of these routes from being used and deny the enemy access and then force the enemy to attack on a position that was more advantageous to his defense.

With his back to the river he had three choices to come and go from the valley. The right looked good but the outlying land was soon flat and easy for an evading army to spread out. With his forces being smaller that did not help him. The left had many hills behind it but that meant an army could have many places to hide and even more to sprout from and surprise him. It would be much harder to concentrate his forces at the key spot they would choose. It would be better to deny this terrain to his enemy.

Harry looked to the middle and found a wide ingress point that narrowed the closer it came to the rim. Smaller space means that the attacking army would have to stack their troops and not bring the full forces to bear on him at one time. Harry knew that was much better for him. The next advantage he saw is that each side had a plateau of land that could overlook the narrowing pass. He could put troops there and fire upon the enemy all the way to the cities new gate.

Harry smiled "The middle then." Harry softly said. Harry flew over the center and the sides of the pass and found that the sides were very hard to get on top of from the outside. His troops would have very good ingress and egress to mount the pass walls and could retreat quickly to the cities defenses if they should breech the rim. Harry decided to fly back and join Bella and Hermione for lunch and inform them of his findings.

When Harry arrived he landed softly on the balcony Hermione looked over and her eyes got very big. "Harry, you did it! You found a way to fly." She stated with excitement.

Harry smiled "I hate flying, you know that. He nudged the disc with his foot "This thing attacked me and kidnapped me to force me home." Harry said it with a lopsided grin on his face and caused Hermione's small smile to quirk up for just a second.

"Harry James Potter the day that anything that flies and you are not on it of your own free will, is just not possible." Hermione walked up to him and ran her fingers through his hair and looked at him as if for the first time "I have missed this hair style; it is the look you get after playing quidditch. I find it very, very sexy." Hermione then gave him a quick kiss.

Harry followed Hermione as they went to the table they had been working on. Harry briefed them on what he had found and what he was going to do; Harry expanded a parchment to be poster size and then stuck it to the wall. He chanted a spell and lines started appearing on the parchment. After two minutes the outline of the valley was recognizable as was the river.

Within ten minutes the outer lying lands to about ten miles was recognizable. The lines kept being drawn for another thirty minutes and the level of detail was outstanding. Hermione kept looking at the map in deep thought. She went to the computer screen and pulled a specific book before pulling Sirius's final journal. Three quarters of the way back she smiled when she found what she was looking for and then practiced for the next three minutes.

Hermione sat the book on the table and drew her wand in delicate patterns. It was another minute later that Hermione stowed her wand and looked at the map in satisfaction. Harry looked at the map and then looked at her trying to figure out what she had done "Ok, Hermione for those of us that are mentally challenged could you please tell us what you did?" Harry saw her smile grow a little and then added "Before I am forced to tickle you mercilessly."

Hermione gave a sigh "I thought it would be obvious to a marauder's son."

Harry looked at her and then tapped his finger to the map "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map glowed a soft blue for a second and then little tags began to reveal themselves with names on them. Hermione grinned "Show the location of Bellatrix." The map began to zoom in and centered on Bellatrix's name with two tags that revealed Harry and Hermione."

Harry leaned her back and gave her a very delightful kiss. When he finished he looked into her eyes "Have I told you how sexy a girl with a brain is?"

Hermione giggled "A time or two Mr. Potter but I love hearing it anyway."

Bella smirked "You two stop as I will not be able to see Veldane until tomorrow…unless Hermione you are willing to share?"

Harry looked up and turned beat red which caused Bella and Hermione to start laughing. Harry just rolled his eyes at both of them. Then Harry went into a curious stare at the window. It wasn't noticed at first but then Bella became concerned "Harry it was just a joke. Don't get so serious." Bella told him.

Harry turned back to them with a little grin on his face "Bella I just realized something and the magnitude just hit me like a ton of bricks." Harry looked down for a second.

Hermione looked at him with much curiosity "What did you realize? Was it something for our preparations?"

Harry shook his head "No, it was something entirely unexpected and I thought it would never happen…ever but it did. Bella the thought of you in that way didn't disgust me. I was embarrassed because in my mind it was possible." Hermione crossed her arms and frowned.

Bella stood there very puzzled "Hunh? What was possible?"

Harry looked at Hermione and knew he was in trouble "No, Hermione I didn't mean I would ever let it happen or that I want it to happen. What I meant was that I was not disgusted by the thought of it and took it as it was intended, as humor and a way to distract us back on topic. Do you understand?"

Hermione leaned over and gave him a kiss "Yes, Harry I do and I pretty much did the same. We have made a very major shift in how we viewed things as compared to when we first came here." Hermione turned to Bella "Come to think of it you have made a dramatic change since we first arrived too."

Bella stood there for a second "So, because you like the thought of sleeping with me, not that you would, but I don't disgust you anymore and this made you realize you see things differently?" Harry and Hermione both nodded Bella threw up her hands "I don't know whether to be insulted or take it as a compliment?"

Harry moved closer to her and stood within inches of her. "Bella the last time we stood this close to each other… what happened?"

Bella looked into his eyes and it took her a second to think about it and then comprehension dawned on her and then the shock came over her face as she thought about it and then a troubling thought sprang to her mind before Harry broke into her thoughts "I trust you and more important I respect you for all that you have done."

Bella peer into his eyes and then smiled "To get the boy who lives trust is a rare thing." Bella sighed "But don't be so quick to forget about the things I have done in the past."

Harry responded with a smile "A truly repentant person finds it far harder to forgive them self than for other people to forgive them." Harry cocked his head "As for me, either whip out your knife or return my hug…Bella."

Bellatrix began to laugh at her new title but then shot back as she returned his hug with equal zeal "That is Psycho Bella if you please." They were laughing as Hermione switched with Harry.

The next two days they did not get around to laughing again or see too much of each other either. Harry and Hermione took a break from their work to see Bella and Veldane off with their three ships. Bella was on the dock side directing the High Guard while Veldane saw them and called her over. Bella grabbed him by the waist and rest her head on his shoulder.

Harry and Hermione briefed her on what they had accomplished and what they still needed to get done. Bella smiled at them "Wow, that is a lot more than I expected and Hermione you say the wards are specially designed?"

Hermione smirked "Oh, they are indeed. I do not think the Vatswaine will be pleased and by leaving them unknown it will cause fear. I even put a pictograph sign and a normal sign to warn people before they enter that only the pure of heart may enter… or else."

Bella asked "Or else what?"

Hermione responded "Wait and see." Bella rolled her eyes.

"Is there anything else we need to be concerned about?" Bella asked

Harry responded "No, in two days we will have done all that we can to prepare. I wish we had a way to communicate with each other during the battle. It bothers me that we become isolated from each other until this is done."

Bella sighed "That concerns me to."

Hermione coughed "Well then I am very glad that the brains of this outfit thought of something. They aren't perfected yet but I think they will do and Harry when we see your godfather or Remus we are going to give them a great big smooch because they came up with it originally."

Harry and Bella looked puzzled as Hermione handed them a mirror each and one to Veldane. Hermione grinned "Think map, don't say it, just think it." She told them.

Bella looked at her mirror and saw a view of the map in the shelter and gasped "Bloody fantastic I can still see what is going on."

Hermione grinned "Oh, it gets better my queen. " Bella just rolled her eyes as Harry and Hermione had been giving her grief since the council named her the queen. "Ask to view the docks."

Bella stated "Docks." The view changed to show the four of them standing there. "Bloody…"

"Fantastic! You already said that." Harry laughed at her.

Bella "Well it is bloody brilliant!" she stated with excitement.

Hermione just smiled again "It gets better."

Harry turned to her "Better?"

Hermione really smiled "Bella I put a bigger mirror on your ship by the main rudder. It acts like a muggle radar and shows you what is around your ship."

Bella asked with concern "What's radar?"

Hermione smiled back "Use it on the way there and you will find out." She stated with smugness. Hermione turned and placed her arm around Harry's waist as they both waved to an astonished Bella who was looking between them and the picture frame mirror attached to her ship.

**CHAPTER 11**

Bella had been watching the radar thingy but didn't really understand it until another river boat began to approach from the opposite way. When it passed by it disappeared from the radar screen. She smiled as she moved the wheel to continue up the river having realized how useful Hermione's little inventions were going to be.

Bella began to laugh to herself and I use to think we purebloods were so superior, what an Idiot I was… Hermione is twice as smart as I could ever hope to be and probable a better witch to boot. Bella had to admit that when Hermione reached her level of experience and wisdom that nobody would be able to stop her… the bloody girl was brilliant!

She was on the second day of her voyage to meet the invading armada and the noon sun began to heat up. Bella saw a ship getting closer and then looked at the mirror. The ship was a little easier to see and looked closer. Bella thought that was great and then wondered.

She asked the mirror to zoom in and then saw that the ship was the lead ship in a 12 ship flotilla. The ships were more like barges and she could see in the open deck people rowing oars. She also saw the flag of the Vatswaine. It was red with blue strips and had some kind of flying creature on it.

Bella zoomed in on the flag and the closer she got the more she realized that the creature looked much like a flying dragon. She immediately remembered the soldier in the bar stating they had a surprise for Phoenix City. Could it be Dragons? She wondered. Did they have one here?"

Bella was first hit with panic and then a calm resolve washed over her. They will not destroy my home or my family. She stood straighter and then reached for her small mirror. She called "Harry!"

Harry felt the mirror vibrate and he quickly answered with concern before looking to see Bella eyes "Are you ok?" he said with concern.

Bella smiled "I am fine but I believe the surprise they have for us is Dragons. I don't know how many or their size. You should prepare some kind of defense and as soon as I have more information I will let you know."

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment "I believe what we prepared for will work. The projectiles are not magical themselves only what we used to launch them, after that it is simple physics." Harry paused "Bella two of your ships are outfitted with the same weapons…let me know how they do?"

Bella laughed "Sure, I need to go and attack twelve other ships. Wish me luck."

Hermione answered "You don't need luck you are prepared."

Bella grinned "Says the bookworm, yea I got it." Hermione just laughed.

Bella placed the mirror in her pocket and looked over at Veldane and they communicated with their minds and pictures. The boats separated a little and Bella's boat took the lead. There was no need for a great strategy against what amounted to barges just a need to hit them as close to the water line to sink them.

Bella maneuvered to be just outside of their oar reach as she lined up her ship and the one behind her. The third ship lined up exactly opposite of her on the other side of the barge. They intended to sweep by and place at least two to three rock cannon balls at just at or below the water line.

As she closed to within 200 meters she heard a fierce roar off to her front left and found three dragons with riders bearing down upon them. She yelled and pointed at the sky to alert all the ships to the danger. She had placed her best high guard to shield in the crow's nest and had hoped that he would shield them as necessary.

Bella realized she would get one volley on this barge before the dragons could attack. She gave instructions for the deck cannons to fire when a target appeared. The High Guard with the special guns at the front and rear were directed to only fire when the dragon was close enough. Bella looked at the rear air gun and realized it would be better in the crow's nest.

Bella waited the next fifteen seconds to be within range and in no time she had four volleys into this barge. Two holes appeared right on the water line and the ship was taking on water. She now adjusted the ships path to do the same for the other barges. She could hear the Vatswaine warriors screaming as the 1st barge began to sink. one down and twelve more to go she thought.

Bella looked up into the sky and found the Dragons; though not large were very healthy looking. She was worried but she had no choice she must continue on this path, no matter the cost. Phoenix city was depending on her and she could not let them down.

The first dragon swooped buy and released a small burst of flames at her ship but barely grazed the side. She quickly banished water on the flames and then a thought hit her. She yelled out to the back air guard "Fire when I hit the dragon with water." The air guard nodded.

As the Dragon and it's rider swooped to sweep the side to strafe the entire length of her ship, Bella felt for her magic and then focused on the water below her. She watched as the Dragon and its' rider glided closer she pushed with all her might and a wall of water rose up that the dragon could not avoid.

The Dragon had just inhaled to breathe more fire at her ship when suddenly it's flaming breath was extinguished by the wall of water. It hit the wall and the rider was barely able to hang on. The Rear Air guard began to banish the small darts four at a time towards the dragon and having the dragon close its' eyes left it open and unable to avoid the lethal darts.

Two penetrated the rider in his chest and seven more ran a stitch down the side of the beast. Both rider and Dragon fell to the water and did not move. The other Dragon riders were shocked to see one of their own down and apparently dead. Bella did not have time to ponder because the next barge was close by.

She ordered the cannons readied and they passed by the ship to hear the screams of doomed soldiers recede behind them. When they passed the fifth ship in this manner the Dragons began their next attack runs on the three ships. They tried a frontal assault this time and both came at once to the two lead ships. They obviously did not expect the front to be protected and as they closed the front gun opened up with deadly precision and both dragons and their rider fell from the sky dead.

The sixth ship tried to turn and miss the run from the ships coming at them. When the other saw this they too also turned. But it was a too little and it was much too late. The air guard opened up and shredded the rowers out in the open. With reduced power the barge was dead in the water.

Bella spent the next hour chasing down the other six ships. When she got to the last ship she side swiped the boat and broke all the oars. She ordered the captain to stand fast as she levitated him to her ship. The Captain's eyes were bugging out as he looked at the unusual creature that he was now at the mercy of. In full view of his crew he was interrogated. After five minutes of being almost drowned three times he began to talk.

Bella found a lot of good information to include that the kingdom, if this army was defeated, was open for invasion itself. Bella let the Captain drown on the fourth dunking. The crew looked on in horror. Bella sent them pictures of going home and of being with family or the choice was using the cannon to end their life. They sent back that they would go home and warn everyone that they found the consequences of invading Phoenix city to high.

Bella immediately turned the ships back and was making good headway to return. She had two days to get back to help the incoming invasion. She immediately called Harry and Hermione and relayed the information. Harry and Hermione were very relieved to hear that there were no losses for their side and only 249 men survived out of the three thousand in the twelve boats.

Bella sat down on the deck and cried until Veldane came to her and held her to quiet her down. He came to understand that her grief was from the men who had fallen because of stupid leaders. 2,700 beings had died because of greed. Veldane held her head up to look at him and then told her succinctly and with no accusation "Then we will change the world and make it better. You have the ways and we will teach it to the world.

Bella looked at him "I am just one woman, I cannot do it alone."

Veldane began to laugh at this and continued for a good minute Veldane smiled at her a replied "You are my mate and I love you but Bella sometimes you are the stupidest smart person I know. Look around you. Did you, Bella, just defeat an Armada?" Bella arched her eyes.

Veldane answered for her "No, you did not. There are twenty-five High Guard that followed their queen into the unknown because we believed in her, the high council, and most importantly a better way of life. You, Harry, and Hermione have shown us that and you have asked for nothing in return."

"Bella you have been the queen of my heart for many years and I will always go where you go for as long as you will have me that will be so." Veldane bowed his head "But I must share you with many others and I accept that. They have need of you as much as I do. You Harry and Hermione must venture forth and save this world from itself. It is the only way that Phoenix city will know true peace."

Bella looked at the deck of the ship for many minutes and thought of Veldane's words and his thoughts. She knew in her heart that he was right. They would have no choice and the armies coming for them would just keep coming until one of them would be large enough or smart enough to defeat them. It made sense in an odd sort of way.

Bella with mirth in her eyes "You husband called me stupid. Why do you think you can stand up to me when I have defeated a whole army?"

Veldane simply smiled at her. They had played this little game before. Bella sometimes liked a dominate Veldane to keep her on track. "Woman you belong to me. I do not think you shall ever be too high and mighty to be put over my knee and taught a lesson."

Bella stood up quickly "You wouldn't dare. I could with a thought tear you limb from limb."

Veldane arched an eye at her "I see that the farther up the path you go the more you need to be brought down to me." Veldane grabbed her wrists as she struggled to get free. "That just means I shall have to be more public in your punishments." Bella's eyes flashed at him with a hint of fear and excitement. Veldane took a squirming Bella and placed her over his knees. Her screams could be heard for very far away over the water. That evening the locals that lived on the water heard a new beast.

Bella and Veldane arrived the next morning to see a bustle of activity. Harry came flying in on his disc along with twelve others. Bella looked at them and smiled "Well Mr. Potter is this a new defense tactic?"

Harry smiled "Well I just so happened to find a whole mine of this crystone and we put it to good use."

Bella was surprised "A whole mine. Why is this all that you have taken from there?" she asked him.

"Bella, Bella, Bella after all this time and you still question my tactical skills. After the many times we fought you should know that I always have a surprise or two." Bella prettily blushed

Her shoulders slumped down "You have more right behind me don't you." Harry just gave a bigger smile.

"Bella prepare to be amazed at my total awesomeness!" Harry said with much mirth.

Bella turned and only her ship was there. She turned back to Harry and Harry pointed back and as Bella turned she was facing three rather large platforms that came into view from a disillusionment charm. Each platform had three air guard cannons on them, two up front and one in the back to provide 360 degree coverage.

Bella turned and looked at him "How are they being powered?" Harry chuckled at this.

Harry lowered himself "Tell me how much you love me and who is your favorite high council member."

Bella smirk and lightly put her lips to his cheek. She then lightly smacked his face "My favorite high council member is Hermione because the girl is far less cheeky than you are and she is ten times smarter than the both of us put together."

Harry sigh "I cannot fault your logic there. Lord knows what she sees in me."

Bella smiled "It's those damn sexy green eyes."

Harry smiled like he had just caught the snitch "Aha! You do think I am sexy."

Bella blushed "Well it is true. So get over yourself and tell me how these things work."

Harry laughed "Well, the last few refugees we took in I have noticed a distinct increase in their magical abilities. They have bigger cores that seem to be almost as big as our own. I found forty of them and started their training yesterday. They power them with their own magic."

Bella stuttered "W…We have the beginnings of a magical Army?"

Hermione strolled up "We do your majesty. I have been observing the population and have tracked in the last six months many have a 12% increase in their core magic. Most are still growing. Within three years they will have increased by 50 to 60 %.

Hermione walked up to Veldane "You may not have noticed but your husband has change quite a bit in the last year. His magical core is slightly bigger than yours and his hair and facial features have been changing."

Veldane waggled his eyes and then spoke English for the first time "There are other parts of my body that have changed some as well. From your screams last night I think you enjoyed them."

Bella face turned completely red and then she realized that Veldane talked. Her head snapped up "How long…and when…?" Bella then went up to him and looked at his features and then into his eyes. "When my love?" I think it started yesterday when you accepted and were made queen. I felt something strange and then last night I believe some more changes occurred as we slept."

Harry remarked "I heard you two didn't sleep at all."

Bella from over her shoulder stated "Can it Potter! At least I am not known as the beast of the valley."

Veldane placed a hand upon her cheek "Are you pleased my mate?"

Bella smiled "I was always pleased with you. I am curious as to how this happened?"

Hermione enlarged a mirror and turned it towards Bella "Well get ready for a surprise as you have had some changes as well." Bella looked into the mirror and noticed that her eyes had become larger, her skin looked more porcelain white than ever and her irises had become no longer blue but golden. Her ears were elongated and now had tips to them.

Bella stood with her mouth open "I have seen a book with a picture of a people like this. They were called the elves. They withdrew from where we came from many, many years ago."

Veldane shook his head "That maybe but we are known as the high guard. We are one with nature, we appreciate life, love, social interaction, and we have awakened to magic." Veldane's face and eyes hardened "As our queen has taught us we will ferociously fight injustice and for our families. We are simply the high guard and this land, this kingdom, our world will be brought along to a new way of thinking and living or it will fall."

Everyone in the crowd began to cheer. Bella looked at Veldane and a tear fell from her eye. Veldane stepped to her and held her waist. "What is it?"

Bella held his gaze "I feel it here where I never thought I would. I love everyone here but Veldane there is a place within my heart that is solely yours and yours alone. I will never share that with another."

Veldane smiled and kissed her forehead "I knew that already. I was just waiting for you to know it. I am, what did you call that? Patiently persistent. You are now truly my woman. " Bella smiled at him.

**CHAPTER 12 **

Bella turned to the cheering crowd after few minutes and held her hands up "People, it is too early to celebrate. We have an Army approaching and we must prepare. We must show the world that we are not to be taken lightly. After tomorrow we shall make a mark on this world. I shall call upon 1,000 of you to be the high guard warriors.

Bella paused and then looked on the city with a smile "It is time to prepare for that which is coming."

Harry and Hermione stood before Bella and Hermione grinned "So, had an exciting two days?"

Bella let a little smile appear "Oh, not really. I defeated an Armada, gained a partner in life, and I changed my appearance." Bella almost couldn't hold in her laughter as she said the next "Nothing too drastic mind you."

Harry rolled his eyes "Yes, well we can't have anything too drastic as it might tip the balance of our sanity."

Bella looked at him with a blank face "Insanity is a form of sanity…right." Bella looked over her shoulder "I could ask my imaginary friends if you like." Bella and Hermione started laughing as Harry just shook his head.

Harry turned and left muttering "I just had to ask didn't I?"

Bella smirked before yelling after him "That is the first sign."

Harry turned "What is?"

Bella replied with a big smile "Talking to yourself…it's the first sign of being insane. The scary part is when you start answering your own questions."

Harry just looked at her strangely "I have an Army to go defeat. You need to meet me on the hill at sunrise in your battle armor and don't be late!"

Bella just smiled as Hermione spoke up "You seem to be taking this in stride. Need anything?"

Bella looked at her "Nope. I am doing all right. In fact I feel better than I have in a long time." Bella looked around before finishing "The world seems much brighter and clearer to me than it ever has before."

Bella looked over at Hermione and smiled "Your radar thingy was really brilliant. I can't tell you enough times how sorry I am to have ever believed being muggleborn is a disadvantage… it's not. If anything it is an asset."

Hermione smiled "Bella I do believe you have found your way in this life, maybe even your calling."

Hermione turned to leave "I am very happy for you. See you tomorrow morning."

Harry, Hermione, and Bella stood atop the rim of a five hundred foot deep passé that was the only means for the invading army to arrive at new Phoenix city. They had worked hard for the last four hours preparing the troops for the assault.

Below them was the Army of Vatswaine in all its glory. Harry just shook his head as he watched an entire Army move blindly to their doom. It seemed such a waste. Bella and Hermione were watching them come.

Harry without warning to the other side began reigning terror down on the soldiers below. After thirty minutes, amidst the moaning and groaning from soldiers that were injured but still alive, Harry with his sword held downwards approached the Vatswaine leader.

The Vatswaine leader was standing with not even a scratch on him. He looked very scared as Harry approached "I told my soldiers that you were not to be harmed. I wanted you to witness what you have done. I am also taking you back to your kingdom where you will surrender to me."

The king looked at him "No, I will not do that."

Harry smiled and then struck with lightning quickness that made the king cry out in pain. "Harry looked down at the king "That was just a broken hand. The next time you don't agree to my terms I will break your other hand. Then I will continue to break every bone in your body. You might as well give up because we already know that you only have 1,000 soldiers left to guard your kingdom."

The king on his knees looked up "I will surrender."

The king sat down looking very defeated "They said you would be a soft target. They said that your knowledge and riches would make it worthwhile." The king looked around "I have never seen devastation such as this. They are wrong about this city."

Harry asked "Who are the -they -you keep referring to?"

The lost king began to stand "They are the kingdom to the North of me, they are the Tranth Kingdom."

Harry just looked skeptically at him "Never heard of them but it sounds like a setup to me. Were they allies of yours?"

The king looked up "They were not allies but I did not consider them enemies."

Harry replied "I think they just moved up my list then."

Harry brought the king back to the city and the king was amazed at what he saw. People were busy bustling about conducting business and going about their daily lives. He had never seen this before. Harry conferred with Bella and Hermione quickly and it was decided that Harry would leave with two hundred men, fifty of them with discs, 15 of them on the war sleds as Harry called them now, and the remainder on the ground.

Bella had decided that once Harry had the city under control that she would send fifty advisors to adjust that kingdoms political, social, and economic structure to better align with New Phoenix cities. Bella was going to improve the conquered kingdom's way of life.

Harry departed and three days later he informed Hermione and Bella that an Army from the north was approaching. It appeared that the north Kingdom had set up the Vatswaine for an invasion. Harry was determined to stop them. Once the city was secured and Bella's advisors were in place to revamp the city and its' structure Harry departed to meet the incoming Army on the plains of Galbraith.

It was a two hundred mile stretch of mild hills and low lying depressions. As Harry looked over the plain he realized that this would make really good farming country. It was only thirty kilometers from the Vatswaine city and was perfect for feeding many people. As Harry spied many lakes within the area he began to smile. Yes this could be very productive for the Vatswaine and New Phoenix City.

His musing were cut short by an Army that looked to be four or five thousand strong coming over a hill less than a quarter of a mile away. The lead element stopped about twenty meters from Harry's position. Harry was sitting on his disc hovering about five feet in the air. This made for a very weird view for the North kingdom's leader.

Harry looked up "Hello. Are you the leader of this Army?" he asked him.

Harry watched as the leader looked suspiciously at him before answering "I am group leader Korgran and I am in charge of this detachment." He stated to Harry from his mounted position.

Harry smiled "Where are you going and what do you plan to do?"

Korgran looked at him "I don't think that is any of your business. Now please step aside so that I may continue."

Harry stood up and pointed behind him "I wouldn't go there because the Vatswaine city was just conquered."

Korgran looked incensed "What do you mean they were conquered? That is impossible because my troops aren't there yet."

Harry chuckled "The General of New Phoenix City invaded two days ago and defeated the remnants of the Vatswaine army. He stated he is claiming it for Phoenix city."

Krogran began to laugh "That is impossible as the Vatswaine Army was sent to New Phoenix city eight days ago to conquer it."

Harry replied "They were not successful and lost in a day and a half. When the king of Vatswaine was interrogated it was found out you set him up so Phoenix city sent an Army to protect Vatswaine's city and they came out here to stop you."

Krogran look back with disbelief and then stared at Harry "You are the General from Phoenix city? Harry only nodded his head.

Krogran looked at the hundred men that surround him and arrogantly stated "We will accept your surrender."

Harry began to laugh "I am not surrendering…you are. I have the superior forces."

Krogran looked at him in dismay but was soon distracted by yells and screams coming from the rear of his ranks. Harry looked at his watch "The sooner you surrender the sooner the massacre ends."

Krogran could not hear anything but the screams of his soldiers getting louder and closer to him. A soldier came running up and began to inform the group leader that something mysterious was killing his soldiers and then produced a bloody metal dart of six inches to show him.

Krogran looked to Harry and Harry held his hands behind his back with not happiness but sadness. Krogran bowed his head "I surrender General."

Harry screamed out "Cease fire!" Harry turned to his men "Take half your men and save as many as you can." Harry turned to Krogran troops "You in the front ranks escort my people to help yours and you will protect them."

Krogran looked on in dismay but then looked at Harry "How?"

Harry shook his head "That is not your concern Group Leader." Harry brought a mirror to his face "Did you catch all of that luv?"

Hermione's voice answered "Tell Bella to send fifty more advisors to the north Kingdom." I take it you are not going to be home for dinner?"

Harry cracked a smile "No, probably not. Please tell the children I love them and give them a kiss for me. I will see you soon."

Harry tucked the mirror in a special pocket behind his armor breast plate. Harry stepped off his disc and walked up to the leader "Now Group Leader we are going to go back to Tranth in the north kingdom."

Krogran looked shocked "Why would you do that? They are no threat to you."

Harry arched an eyebrow "The same as Phoenix city was not a threat to Tranth or Vatswaine that is until you manipulated the Vatswaine to attack us." Harry looked at him "That was a very bad mistake on your part."

Krogran began to become upset "Wait you can't go there are many people in my city. Where will they go once you take over?" Krogran could see that the General was not swayed. "General my children and family are there."

Harry turned sharply back on Krogran before he started to yell at him "That didn't stop you from gladly sacrificing my family or my children." Tell me commander why should I be concerned with your children and family when you don't care about mine?"

Krogran took a step back "I honestly never thought of it like that. I never knew you or your city and I just wanted to increase my people's holdings to make a better life for them."

Harry did not relent "So you admit it was for greed only that you sent others to kill me, my wife and children?"

Krogran bowed his head "Yes."

Harry looked at him "So again Group Leader why should I care about yours?"

Krogran looked into Harry's eyes "You have no reason to because I have never given you a reason to care."

Harry smiled at him "Not until now commander. I see remorse and regret in your posture, your eyes, and most importantly in your voice. I think you understand that war is not an abstract idea. War kills people and disrupts lives. It is a thing to be avoided at all cost."

Krogran looked puzzled "But then why did you come all the way out here?"

Harry stood before him "My city has become more widely known. Travelers come through and tell others of our accomplishments. In the last year we have been attacked five times. The Vatswaine were by far the largest force but those forces become larger each time. Should I wait until such a large force comes that I have no chance to defend?"

Harry walked over to stand by Krogran's mount "I hate war and I hate killing." Harry turned to him "but if I am given no choice, I will make war so terrible that my enemies will never wish to see it again and you Group leader gave me no choice." Krogran looked at him and realized suddenly that he and his family were lucky to be alive. His body shivered.

Harry walked back to face him "If you had won what would become of my family and my wife?"

Krogran looked down "They would have been forced out of their homes and land to wonder."

Harry arched his brow "But you ask that I not do the same to you?" Krogran did not reply. Harry continued "I and my queen do not want to be conquerors. We want peace and allies. So I am going to go with you to your city and I have fifty advisors that your people will work with. They will help you with your political system and your economy to make things better and you will help them in any way you can."

Harry stepped closer "Because if you don't group leader and I am forced to return I will level your city to the ground. I will leave nothing to remind history of your existence. Do I make myself clear?"

Krogran stepped back and in fear "Perfectly! I will ensure that Tanth never is a problem again."

Harry smiled "Good! You will become excited in time about the wonderful improvements this will bring to your city. How close does this grassland come to your city?"

Krogran was shocked by the question "It goes almost to our door step."

Harry chuckled "Can you imagine these fields being full of fruits, vegetable, orchards and other food. It would be enough to feed your people, Vatswaine, and Phoenix city?" Krogran looked perplexed as Harry put his arm around his shoulder "In time my friend you will learn all that my people have to offer and will be glad to call us allies, friends, and neighbors."

Over the next five years Harry and Bella went off to other kingdoms, other lands and began a systematic tour of this world. Vatswaine was now known for the great mining and mineral resources that they provided. Tranth was known as the agricultural hub. Two other cities Unruth and Vestral had taken great strides in producing clothes and manufactured goods. Phoenix city became a transportation hub for many goods and services. They also became the financial center for business and banking.

Many had heard of the alliances that Phoenix city would make and over time the wars became less and many sought out Phoenix's help to advise them to improvements. The one oddity that recurred over and over is that in every city that they advised in, within four months of the advisor's arrival, magic begin to flourish. The people of the new city would become magical and with the magic coming they would become known as the high guard.

Harry, Hermione, Bella and Veldane were sitting around the dinner table in the Potter's home. Bella had been contemplative all afternoon. She had just returned from a very productive meeting with a city that was on the ocean. "I have come to the realization that we have done all that we can for this world. When I reached the ocean I knew that we had completed our task." She said out loud.

Harry and Hermione both looked at her and Harry smiled "You have been redeemed in my eyes for many years." He told her.

Hermione smiled "Perhaps you have done the unthinkable and feel redeemed in your own eyes."

Bella grinned and a tear leaked from her eyes "I have I feel it inside but alas I have sadness as I know what this means and I do not want to go back. I have everything I want in life right here. That is what frightens me the most. I do not know what will happen."

**CHAPTER 13**

It was a month later after Bella's realization that through the main door walked a man that they had not seen for many, many years. He took his hat off and then placed it on a hook by the door much like he would do if he was at his own home. He took a few minutes and then looked around the room and then stood before a picture of the present Potter family. He shed tears unbidden as he looked upon it and smiled.

Hermione stood and moved to stand next to him and then took his hand and placed it around her waist. Harry watched with an odd detachment as another man held his wife. What bothered him most is that he was not affronted by this.

Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder and then leaned her head on her hand. The man sniffed "I wish this was what my life had brought to me. It is all I ever wanted. I was stupid in my reality and by the time I realized what my Hermione meant to me…she was gone."

Hermione rubbed circles on his back "I am sorry. Can you tell me what happened…? Harry?"

Fate looked at her and smiled "You always were the brightest witch I had ever met. There are some goddesses that are not as smart as you." Fate chuckled at this. "When did you know?"

Hermione sighed "As soon as I saw your eyes. I have never met another that had your eyes Harry."

Fate/Harry smiled "I should have guessed that and I guess the disguise I am wearing is moot." Fate /Harry removed the white wig, then the beard, before he shed the robe and before the whole group stood a much older Harry Potter with tinges of grey hair.

Hermione smiled "You know you are still gorgeous as old as you are." Hermione turned to Harry and grinned "I hope you don't mind but this Harry needs something from me."

Harry quipped back "Just not too much because I would hate to kick…my own ass." Bella and Fate Harry began to laugh.

Hermione stood in front of the Fate/Harry she held his face in her hands "I am sorry I cannot do more but close your eyes and think of your Hermione." Hermione waited until his eyes were firmly closed and his eyes began to dance behind his eyelids. She carefully leaned forward and gave him a soft tender kiss filled with passion. Fate/ Harry started to cry almost immediately. By the time she was through Hermione had tears in her eyes. "Harry I am so sorry for what happened to you and I am sure that in whatever time or place I was in that I loved you."

Fate /Harry stepped back and carefully wiped the tears from his eyes "It's funny that in the many centuries I have been around that the pain wouldn't be so acute but it has never lessened and it is always there. It gives me the fuel to do what must be done…I have made it my fate in memory of my Hermione."

Harry sat straighter in his chair "Centuries…How is that even possible… I mean how can you be fate?"

Fate /Harry chuckled "Do you have all three hallows?"

Harry shook his head no "It was too tempting to any man, even to me. I had all of them for about a minute before the allure scared me so bad that I got rid of the ring stone."

Fate /Harry sighed "I didn't and I traded them for the right to become fate. I made the mistake of bringing Hermione back because I needed her but within a minute I saw how much it was hurting her and released her and she moved on to the next great adventure."

"I ambled around aimlessly for many years wandering with no place to go and no hope until I met death. He wanted the deathly hallows back and was willing to make a deal for them." Fate/ Harry looked at everyone and then continued "We talked about many things for months and he taught me the true nature of time and the many wondrous realms. It was very eye opening for me."

Fate/Harry looked at the floor "It was then that he made his play and I with a single thought in mind accepted. I gave him the hallows and I became fate, the weaver of the realities. I controlled many things… except free will and I watched endlessly as many Harry and Hermione's walked through life. Many were tormented by being separated and very few got any happiness from their lives."

"But you two had figured much of it out. You were together and in love but you needed help. I could not give it to you directly as you had to learn it on your own and needed someone willing to help you." Fate Harry stated.

Hermione chuckled "Weird, you brought us here with Bella of all people." and then Hermione grabbed Bella's hand "I am not going to question how you got there. I don't need the headache quite frankly but based on what I know today, she is the perfect choice."

Fate/ Harry chuckled "There are some days I am not even sure how I got here either. I had many sleepless nights pondering this."

Harry finally asked the question that had plagued him for years "Why did you pull me from my timeline? I had already defeated Voldemort and we had won. I could get on with my life and spend it with Hermione…that is all I wanted."

Fate/Harry lost all humor in his face and was about to explode until Hermione placed her hand on his "Don't, I understand why I think you did it but my Harry doesn't. He wants to be just Harry and that is all he has ever wanted."

A tear streaked down Fate /Harry's cheek as he looked at Harry "That is all I ever wanted as well. I dreamed of the day that no more public scrutiny would come my way. That I could –JUST –BE – HARRY!" Fate Harry sighed heavily and shuddered.

Harry put together the various clues "That is how you lost Hermione."

Fate /Harry just nodded his head "I was forty-five years old and Hermione and I had been together for over thirty-five years. Married for more than twenty-five and I was in heaven. I stayed out of the public view and before I knew it there were rumors of another purity movement and I scoffed at the idea.

Then one night they came knocking before I knew what was going on I had been arrested for some none purity act and made to watch as Hermione and my children were thrown into the veil. Of course I then went crazy and nobody escaped the veil room alive that night and for some reason my magic went off the scale. I spent the next month on a rampage.

I went to the Wizgenmont records room and found every member of every family who voted for that stupid act and I made them pay. By that time, I had the ICW and the combined magical forces of ten countries that were trying to stop me. Their attacks only fueled my emotions with more hatred. I had over a hundred auror force attack me at Hogsmeade and I walked away without a scratch and they had only one survivor.

The other side found out he had been turned into a squib. I can't even remember what spell I used to do that but it scared every magical on the planet. From that point on no one approached me and they surely never attacked me again.

That was the day the world trembled as they knew that they could do nothing with me. I was more powerful than all of them combined. The ICW sent an envoy, Luna Lovegoode. She talked to me for many hours as I cried and wept my soul out. I demanded every SOB who had caused my pain and the ICW caved, they gave me what I wanted. The ICW conducted a manhunt in Britain worse than the witch trials in the sixteen hundreds. They gave me the remainder of those in Britain that had caused my suffering. I murdered and butchered over 120 men, women, and children of the blood purist movement and I wiped their treachery from the face of the earth.

Fate/Harry had tears coming from his eyes "When I was finished three- fourths of magical Britain was gone. The rest had escaped to the continent or the colonies. Then I moved to France, Germany, and the United States. Within ten years my world's magical population dropped 60% and the statute of secrecy was breached. Within five years the muggle rampage wiped out the remaining magical populace and there was only me left."

I reveled in my victory and soon realized that without Hermione it was hallow. The emptiness returned along with the pain.

Fate/Harry began to laugh "So I had nobody magical left and I began on the bigots in the muggle world and they sent Armies after me and they fared no better than the magicals who had attempted the same.

I was able to use their atomic weapons with devastating effect." Fate /Harry shook his head "They also sent envoys to work something out. It did them no good. I carried a picture around of my Hermione and my family and every time I looked at it my emotions raged and I continued. I was merciless in the executions but the void and the pain in my life could never be filled and it could never be satisfied.

Their finally came a day that I woke up to an empty world. I was the only one left and death made his appearance and we began to talk.

Fate/Harry looked to Harry "What it took me to understand is that the physical battles are the easy part. What was hard to change is cultures, attitudes, and people's minds. It starts with everyone you meet, everyone you talk to, and changing public opinion. It starts in politics which is something I felt was dishonest and I loathed the very thought of it."

Fate Harry turned to this Harry and looked deep into his eyes "I brought you here because you needed to train yourself to not only physically fight on the battlefield but you needed to learn the most important fight is not the battlefield but the one that begins in the political arena."

Harry listened "I hate politics that is Bella and Hermione's thing. I just do what they tell me."

Fate Harry laughed "Yes you do but you have done far more than that Harry. You carry their message in your heart. You may be the enforcer for the team but you hate war and killing more than anything and when given the choice you stop being ruthless and carry their political message."

Fate Harry watched the emotions play across Harry's face before he broke into his thoughts "Harry Krogran is a good example of what you do to change attitudes, even if it is a harsh lesson. You wiped out over half of his army in less than five minutes with no losses to your soldiers but as soon as he surrendered you began saving his people by using your own people to do it.

What left a big impression on Krogran is your little speech to him after it was over and he begged for his family's life. You were not cruel to him but you showed him why it was in his best interest to care about others. You drove that point home so well that in dealing with his own people and other nations, he has taught them the same thing. He has become your staunchest supporter and he is feared and revered in the rest of the world.

Fate Harry chuckled "He has waged terrible war on those he had to but on the same token when given the chance he shows everyone great kindness and fairness. They fear his strong hand and to avoid his wrath, they follow his lead. There is only one in this land that they fear more and that is you. This world respects you beyond measure, not only for your skills in waging war but because you lead them by setting an example and you help them make their lives better.

You are very quick to pick up a sword but you are much quicker to throw down your arms and plant a field, fix a ship, or even help someone repair their house. Everyone you contact can't help but to admire you. They soon realize that you would much rather lead a simple life than fight a war. They also fear the day you pick up that sword because your enemies will have summoned a mad warrior and it impacts people greatly. It has impacted this world 1,000 fold because each person you touch, they touch a hundred more.

Fate /Harry leaned forward in his chair "Harry you were never meant to lead a simple life you touch people because you were meant for greatness. Without you touching as many lives as possible, any world is left barren and without hope."

Harry stood up "That is not fair! I never asked for any of this. I never wanted any of this. I just want some peace!" Harry yelled.

Fate/Harry stood up and moved closer to challenge him "Yet you come to this world and find that the only way you will get the peace you want is through waging war on others unfairness and you did not waver. Hermione and Bella could not achieve this and you could not have achieved this without them." Harry turned away and looked out the window.

Fat/Harry sighed and put his hands on his hips "Harry the alternative to what you don't want to do is much worse."

Harry turned on him "So you are saying do this or I will become a dark lord and murder everyone?"

Fate/ Harry shook his head "No, my case was the extreme reality but if you don't face this challenge then it is highly likely that you will only have peace and Hermione by your side for forty or fifty years. In only one case has it ever gone to the full conclusion but that was due to the muggles having an atomic war. Everyone else was too busy as half the world's population was dead to bother with you two."

Hermione stepped between the two as she looked at Fate Harry "You told him what he needed to know and I think it is time for me to work with Harry to what he will decide."

Harry interrupted her "Love, this is most definitely something we must decide together. I cannot make this decision alone."

Hermione turned to him "I know that love but I also know you need time to process this." Hermione waved her hand and his disc flew to her "Harry go fly and relax. I will be right here waiting for you and then we will talk about this for the next few days."

Harry pulled her into a hug and then leaned into whisper in her ear "I am scared. I can't be without you and this decision could affect us both." Hermione leaned into him and tightened her hug.

Hermione touched his forehead with hers "Harry you are not alone in this and don't forget that." Harry smiled back at her. Harry took off into the evening sky and flew gentle circles for many minutes.

**CHAPTER 14**

Harry had spent a couple of hours flying around before he ambled back into the shelter. He hung his cloak up and then as he passed the children's room he saw Fate /Harry sitting in the rocking chair with a smile on his face as he watched the children sleeping. Fate /Harry turned to him and along with the smile that was permanently plastered on his face there were tears. Harry's face turned grim but he nodded to his older self.

Harry sat down to remove his boots and then turned to see Hermione sleeping peacefully with his pillow being hugged by her. He let a small flit of a smile adorn his face before a much darker thought came to his mind. What would he do if she was taken from him…if his children were taken from him?" his face turned grim as he remembered the bloodiest battle he ever had in the ten years he had been here.

In the city of Lantath a particularly vile leader refused to give in and refused just about every offer of assistance from the Phoenix alliance. Harry had worked hard to avoid a battle but when fifty of Lantath's finest and elite warriors had ambushed them, Harry released everything he had. He was brutal, violent, and without mercy. When it ended Harry was in the throne room and no one had survived but him. All ten members of his envoy were dead. The entire fifty man force that Lantath had sent was dead.

Harry was so incensed that when he walked out alone from the locked room he beset on three guards and killed them. He continued to the front gate and left a trail of dead and dismembered Lantath soldier's in his wake. He immediately roused his troops and marched them into the city and the palace. He did not kill any civilians but when morning came he stood with the sun behind him and a pile of Lantath soldiers dead at his feet.

Many had spoken of that for months as it was discovered that he and his troops had killed every being wearing a Lantath uniform. He had no mercy on them. Harry's last act was to drag the kicking and screaming leader to the city center and publically execute him in the most horrific manner possible. He had his troops turn the palace into rubble. Yes, many others talked about his udder brutality towards his enemies. The many that still refused to cooperate suddenly realized how unwise that action was.

Harry allowed tears to leak from his eyes and turned back to his Hermione sleeping so peacefully. His answer came to him as he realized that the world would not be safe from him if Hermione was taken from him. His grief would be too much and the world would suffer.

Harry carefully removed the pillow from Hermione's grasp and then he made love to his wife slowly, tenderly, and for a very long time. Hermione smiled at him and allowed him what he needed most to feel her. She was smiling as she felt loved, worshipped, and respected. The emotions he conveyed to her was a balm to her soul and she knew without a doubt that Harry would never betray or hurt her and for that she held on to him all night.

The next morning as the house started to be active, Hermione and then Fate/ Harry a few minutes later walked into the kitchen where Jaime, Remus, and Lilly were being served breakfast by their father. He then took two plates from the hearth and handed them to Fate/ Harry and his wife. Hermione was glowing and had a big smile as Harry looked to be so full of energy and happy. She sat down and placed the napkin across her lap as Harry poured her tea.

Hermione tugged her husband's shirt until he bent lower so she could whisper in his ear. When she did Harry and Hermione began to chuckle and Hermione winked at him. Fate / Harry watched in amusement.

After they finished breakfast and the children had went outside to play. Harry slowly took a sip of tea and sat it down "We are waiting on Bella to arrive and we will start this meeting." Harry looked at Hermione and added "I have many thoughts to share and a plan outline of what we should do."

Hermione quipped back "You! Mr. Potter has a plan? This I have just got to hear."

Harry chuckled as he then poked Hermione in the ribs which made her squeal in laughter "Quiet you. I still know you are the brains of this outfit but I occasional do make plans." Hermione smiled at him as she settled down in her chair.

Bella swept into the room a few minutes later and went to the hearth to pour herself some tea. She sat down next to Veldane "Ok, caveman what is it you want to talk about?"

Harry chuckled "In approximately 4,453 years from now, in 1997, I will need the Queen of the high guard to make her appearance on the British isle. You should prepare your people to enter the human world and from then on plan to maintain a presence in the human realm. I am sure that other countries will want you to venture to their shores and you must plan for ten to fifteen teams of 500 to 1,000 to maintain a presence."

Hermione, Bella, and even Fate /Harry's jaw nearly hit the floor but before all three started asking questions all at once. Fate /Harry got their attention as he stood up "Harry, how did you figure all this out?"

Harry smiled at them in with I know something you don't know smug smile "Well my cognitively lacking friends, it really is quite simple. If time and space are so intricately related it goes without saying that time and realities are the same. Fate when he prepared us to come here pretty much said that he removed us from the time stream and then he placed us here. We had to be on earth because too many things are very similar to Britain.

Hermione listened to him talk and then began chewing on her lip. Harry continued "We are not on Britain and this country, which I have crossed many times, is surrounded by ocean. There is only one continent that is small enough that I can cross in two days that is surrounded by water.

Hermione spoke up "Australia! We have been in Australia all this time."

Bella "That can't be right because Australia's center is a barren Desert. This land is not."

Harry chuckled "May I enlighten you?"

Bella smirked "Oh by all means, please do."

Harry gave a soft sigh "The answer is time. We did not move through space because we are on earth. But we could have moved through time and if that is true then which direction?"

Hermione answered "No planes, cars, or other means so it can't be to the future. It would have to be in the past."

Harry smiled "Correct. I wanted to find out how far back we had gone and then I found this text in the electronic library we brought it is a muggle world history book. Twentieth century man was pretty much on every continent but one. And that did not change until the 1800's when England discovered this place. Since no British were here we are at least before the 1800s."

Harry turned the page before he continued "Aboriginals did not appear here until approximately 2,600 years prior to that. So we are at least 2,775 to 2,800 years into the past." Harry stated gladly.

He pulled another book from the stack "This map of the last ice age that hit earth shows that it started around 10,000 years ago and …."

"…ended around 5,000 years ago." Hermione finished for him.

Harry smugly replied "Yes, but that was for the northern hemisphere and it appears that the southern hemisphere was slightly slower because the sunlight is less direct. Using a graph I found that the northern hemisphere thawed at a rate of 75 years per degree parallel and the southern hemisphere's rate was 96 years.

Harry continued "Being where Australia is, that would mean we are between 3,500 and 3,400 years in the past. The high guards are what many refer to as the Elves which they said the last known one was 1,800 years ago. They said that the Elves came from a realm far away and surround by the great waters of oblivion."

Bella looked confused "You said 3,456 years, how did you get there?"

"Fifty is in the middle and I added six just because." Harry said with a smirk.

Bella quipped "Faker…I will get you for this. Damn good deductive reasoning."

Fate /Harry began to laugh "Does anything get by you three? You were off by one year but fortunately there is no year zero because nobody could figure out how to divide the first year so they called it year one." Fate /Harry turned to Bella "If you come exactly when he says…or I should say reveal your vast Army at that time it will have a great impact."

Hermione had been looking at Harry with a look he only saw at night "You, my husband are awesome and I love it when you let your smart side come out to play." Breathless Hermione finished "It …certainly does…things to me."

Bella grinned "That's the big plan?"

Harry frowned "No, there are some details that I don't particularly like but they are necessary. Such as Hermione and I will have to leave you for about 4,500 years or so before we see you again." Harry looked up at her "Bella I will miss you greatly and I think Sirius would be very proud of what you have done."

Bella stood up and sat on Harry's lap "To you the time will have passed within an instant and it is I that will miss the both of you very much." Bella kissed his forehead "Harry I will be there for you and for whatever you need to save Hermione and your children because we are family now."

Bella went to hug Hermione and then sat back down and she thought out loud "Is this the reason why I have changed to look Elven?"

Fate /Harry scratched his head "To be honest I don't know how that happened. It may have something to do with your mate being High Guard."

Hermione gasped "I think that is exactly it. I read a text once where it was heard that Human Males or females who mated with Elves changed appearances so that they matched their mate." Hermione smiled "To include immortality."

Bella grinned "Well how convenient."

Harry quipped "That is just great…an Immortal Psycho…just what the world needs." Bella began to chuckle and then started to laugh as they all started to laugh too.

The rest of the day, the next day, and on into the third day they planed what they would do. It was on the third day that they had a revelation; or rather Hermione had a revelation. "We were here when the magic revealed itself to the High guard. In actuality, it was your magic Harry that was the catalyst for magic to appear in our world.

Hermione thought for a second "All of us have had a hard time using magic at first until we built up and let or magical cores adjust to this magic. I believe we have increased our magical muscle dramatically. I believe when we return we will all notice a huge power increase from our increased core sizes.

Harry looked thoughtful "How much of an increase do you think?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders "There is no way to know until we get there and find out."

Harry raised his eyebrow at her "Did the bookworm just make a guess?" he asked with a smile.

Hermione ran a hand through his hair she smiled at him "No, the Bookworm is taking the pencil out of her ass and learning to enjoy life. Besides she has a ton of faith her husband will figure it out." Everyone started laughing at her antics.

All too soon it was time for Harry and Hermione to depart. They packed their three kids up and Harry shrunk the trunk that held all of their belongings in this life. Bella had a few surprises for them that she had thought out. For one she was concerned for Hermione's parents and their safety and she knew she would miss the kids and had a plan for how to deal with that. She didn't say anything because she knew they had enough on their minds already.

Fate took their hands and led them through a portal that he had just created. Harry watched with his mage sight and saw something very interesting with the magic. He smiled as he then knew he could create portals for travel very easily through time.

**CHAPTER 15**

Fate looked around the area that had been the Potter's living area for the last three days. They had watched the time stream to ensure that Harry and Hermione were ready to resume their lives in the present time. Harry and Hermione had gone to her parents house the first night back to slowly introduce them to the new way of things. Hermione's parents were shocked to find out that their daughter and Harry were already technically married.

It had been only a day since Hermione had left them to go to America in grief from Harry having been taken away from her. They had explained that only yesterday they had been contacted by the police that a woman answering Hermione's description had disappeared into a mist at the train station.

They were frantic until Hermione and Harry had shown up at their doorstep with three children, their children. Emma had grabbed Hermione in a fierce hug and refused to let her go as she cried happy tears. Harry watched them and when Emma finally noticed Harry she tapped him on the shoulder

"I don't know you very well Harry but if you ever die on my daughter again I will kill you. The poor girl was miserable without you." Emma then hugged him very tight and kissed his cheek. She leaned back and then gave him a big smile "I will forgive you this time as you brought me three grand children… welcome to the family!" Harry and Hermione chuckled as they settled into the Granger household that day.

The next night it was even more shocking when the three year old levitated a drink to her. Harry and Hermione just laughed. It was a greater shock when a lovely woman with pointed ears appeared before their kitchen table when they were having tea.

Queen Bella of the high Guard introduced herself to them and they sat down and had a wonderful talk. Bella went on to explain some of the adventures that Harry and Hermione had while they were in the other time.

The next night Bella was sitting at the kitchen with Richard and Emma Granger having tea. The kids automatically ran to her which alerted Harry and Hermione to her presence. Hermione gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and stepped back with her hands on her hips "What part of the plan do you not understand?" Hermione asked her.

Bella blushed "Well, I agreed to most of it but 4,000 years is a long time to miss all of you." Bella pointed to everyone "We are family and I wanted to see everyone." Bella then gave a little smirk "I came up with a better plan and it will keep your parents and children very safe."

Harry was all ears and put his hand over Hermione's mouth "I being a very intelligent person will listen very astutely to any plans that you have my queen." Bella chuckled at his term for her.

Bella winked at him "Well, over the last four thousand years we have learned a few things about hiding our realm. We especially have a warding system that keeps all humans and wizards out. I want your parents and children to come with me so I can make sure they are well taken care of."

Hermione and Harry almost shouted out "Yes at the same time."

Richard shouted "Wait just a minute. Don't we have any say in this?"

Hermione, Bella, and Harry bowed their heads and said at the same time "Sorry."

Emma with a smile pointed at them "Ok, now that was just weird you three, answering at the same time." This brought a chuckle from all of them. "It is plain to see that you trust each other implicitly and it would be very hard for us to feel much differently." Emma looked to Richard and he smiled and nodded to her. Emma turned back to them "We find the thought of seeing a different realm exciting but we don't want to put you out."

Bella chuckled "I have had four thousand years to plan for your visit." Richard then pointed at her "Ok, that is really weird when you say it like that." Richard smiled "We would love to be your guests." Bella's smile became much bigger.

Bella turned to Harry and Hermione and pushed them towards the back door "Ok, you two your Queen commands you to scuttle on and get on with it. I will handle the little ones and the young ones so don't worry about it." Bella opened the door and pushed them out "Don't forget to meet me at Gingotts in three days. Ragnok is looking forward to meeting you as is the Goblin council. They haven't seen the high council together in a few thousand years, so don't be late…Bye loves."

Hermione looked at Harry "She is having way too much fun with this at our expense."

Harry chuckled "We are not the only ones did you hear her refer to your dad and mum as young ones." Hermione turned quickly to Harry and began to laugh.

Harry and Hermione returned to their living space with Fate and found him drinking tea. He seemed to be a little melancholy about something. Hermione placed her hand on his shoulders "Is everything all right?"

Fate /Harry didn't look up "Today was Emma's birthday that was our oldest daughter. For some odd reason over the centuries on everyone's birthday I sip a cup of tea and try to remember every little detail about them."

Harry stated solemnly "They are always in your heart as long as you allow them to stay."

Fate /Harry nodded to them "Something like that."

Hermione looked over to Harry "Since you have that Portal thing down pat? Can you get us to Hogwarts?"

Fate/Harry looked at him "You know you are not supposed to have knowledge of how to do time portals. Don't let others find out about it or it might cause you some trouble."

Harry chuckled "I wouldn't worry about it too much as Death and I have an understanding now. He won't look for me for a very long time."

Fate / Harry smiled "What did you threaten him with?"

Harry grinned mischeiviously "Hermione!"

Hermione stomped her foot but smiled "I am not that bad!" Both Harry's looked at her with looks that said they were not that stupid to believe a word of that.

Hermione rolled her eyes "I'm not…ok I am but he took Harry away from me…what did he expect from me?"

Harry grinned "Well he asks that the next time you hex him that you not scramble his bones." Harry started to laugh "He was very embarrassed to have another's help to fix him. He was even more incensed when the person told him how stupid he was for separating a bonded couple and that it served him right."

Fate / Harry replied "Yea, that is something that death should not do again.."

Fate/ Harry stood up and then Hermione led him to a door that led to the over world, as they called it. It was similar to heaven but many of the gods and deities lived there as well. Hermione stopped him "Harry please don' be mad at me because I pleaded your case to Athena. She listened and then it almost broke her heart to hear it. I showed her a memory of you looking at our portrait and that pretty much did it for her."

Hermione opened the door. The street was a view of Fate/ Harry's street on London he recognized it immediately and his tears flowed like there was no tomorrow. Hermione continued "Athena brought them here last night and they have no memory of what happened previously. To them you just left this morning and are on your way home for dinner."

Fate/Harry responded quickly "What about my promise to death."

Harry came up behind him "I spoke to death last night. He said your position was only temporary and that the original fate just wanted a vacation. He said that he was about ready to fire you anyway and would be glad to get rid of you."

Fate / Harry laughed out "That bastard would!"

Harry handed him a package "Death said you can have the Hallows back."

Fate/Harry looked at the package "I don't think I will need those anymore." He looked in Harry's eyes "I was never as strong as you about those. You keep them for me." Harry nodded his understanding.

Fate / Harry hesitated "I am afraid. I have done so many bad things how could she still love me?"

Hermione leaned into him "Harry as I am Hermione I have watched my Harry do some awful things and I can tell you I love him no less for what he had to do. I have always been charged to take care of Harry's soul. She will love you no matter what. She will heal all those aches that have torn you…trust me on this."

Fate /Harry looked over at her and gave a small smile. He kissed her on the forehead "I feel better already. Good luck you two." He took a step and then stopped without turning around "Harry if you are successful, this will change all the realities and all Harry's and Hermione's will have rich and full lives as they mirror the base reality. I thought you ought to know." Fate /Harry took off at a brisk walk towards his house.

Harry and Hermione watched as the front door opened to a non-descript elegant brownstone and an older Hermione stepped from it "I have need of you husband." She stated with a laugh.

Fate/Harry stopped and his mouth fell open and he watched her as a tear fell from his eye. He responded after a moment "I, as always, can willingly take care of your needs, wife." Hermione's smile got bigger as she gentle kissed his cheek.

The older Hermione led him towards the door and turned her head to Harry and Hermione and mouthed the words 'thank you' and then added 'good luck' before she winked at them. Surprised that this Hermione had known, they were gone and the door closed before Harry and Hermione could even think to respond.

Harry and Hermione smiled and looked at each other as they closed the portal. Hermione leaned against the door and looked at Harry "I have need of you husband." She said in a sexy voice. Harry laughed as he slowly removed her panties.

Harry sighed "You know fate and death are going to have a cow when they find out what we are about to do in their office."

Hermione started to chuckle "I know that is why I wanted to do it here." Hermione scowled "I dare death to say anything about it… or Fate for that matter." Hermione smirked "I think I will leave my panties in his desk draw."

Harry chuckled "Have I told you that smart girls…without panties are very sexy?"

**Chapter 16 **

**Present time a few months before the final battle**

Harry and Hermione awoke in the tent they had been in for the last three months looking for horcruxes. Ron had already left them a month ago. They had spent their second night in the tent and had spent most of it in the one cot.

They had three more Horcruxes to go and knew all of them. The diadem was at Hogwarts, the cup was in Gringotts, and Nagini was with Voldermort himself. The one in Harry had already been killed in the forest from before the final battle with Voldemort the first go around.

Hermione looked into Harry's eyes and smiled "I had forgotten how cozy and comfortable this camp cot could be." Hermione began running her hand on his morning salute to her. This brought a smile to Harry's face.

"I am beginning to think we shall have one room in the house that looks exactly like this tent because from my point view anything that makes you this randy cannot be a bad thing." Hermione began to breathe hard as Harry began to move his hand lower on her.

A few hours later they arrived at Gringotts Bank. In the last timeline, they had been poly juiced to look like Bella, Rudolphus, and Rebastian Lestrange. This time they decided to go as themselves. They had already decided that they had nine months to thin out the ranks of Death eaters and that the sooner they started, the better. Besides as Harry had pointed out, their magic power had increased tremendously since they returned.

As expected when they entered Diagon Alley and before they could even cross the street, five men in blue cloaks approached them. "In the name of the ministry you are under arrest Harry Potter" the lead said.

Harry recognized him immediately as a mid level death eater. Harry smiled up at him "Death eater Dawlish is it and with death eaters accompanying you. Out for a morning stroll?"

Dawlish was taken back as this kid did not look at all intimidated and that made him start to wonder why. "You will come with us and be taken into custody. You and your mud…" Harry drew a sword that was not visible and before anybody realized it had sliced Dawlish's Head from his shoulders and sheathed his sword before any of the other four realized what had happened.

Harry did not look happy "I suggest that you other death eaters rethink about using that word in your vocabulary and in my presence. As you can see words have consequences and you wouldn't want to lose your head would you?"

The other four were speechless for a few seconds but kept looking at the two younger and school age kids in front of them. The fact that an auror was headless at their feet really didn't register. The death eater to the right of Dawlish stepped to show that he was in the lead.

Hermione beat him to the punch to say something "Didn't you guys use to wear those hallo weenie masky things when you were doing this before?"

The new leader sneered at her before giving her body a sexual appraisal "You little mud…" The new leader didn't get to finish as his head began rolling down Diagon alley.

Harry placed his hands behind his back very casually "I will not say it again. I really think you need to remove that word from your vocabulary because if you don't you could fall over dead like your friends."

The death eater to the left of Dawlish spoke with a stutter "Yes, sir I think I will do that."

Another one asked "Could we leave now?"

Hermione placed her hands on her hips "Is it true that it is taboo to say Voldemort's name?" The three cracked a smile as this would bring a snatcher team to this location. When twenty seconds passed and no help showed up the third new leader said with a frown "Well it was until you said it just now."

Hermione with a smile stated "Roll up your left sleeve." The death eater did as she asked. Hermione touched the tip of her wand to his dark mark and spoke and incantation that caused her wand tip to light up. The other two death eaters began to scratch their arms.

"What did you do?" the new leader asked her.

Hermione answered "I am sending Moldy shorts a message. Anytime a death eater uses the derogatory term for a first born witch or wizard they will fall over dead."

The one that hadn't spoken before said "What mud blood?" His eyes rolled up and he fell over dead.

Harry began to laugh "They never learn do they?"

Hermione said shamefully "It's really not their fault as the Dork Lord doesn't hire the smartest people to become death eaters. They tend to be inbred cretans who love to spout their blood purity spiel."

The new leader looked at her "Are you two nuts. He is going to send everything he has at you when he hears about this."

Harry walked up to him and knocked on his head "Hello is anyone in there listening? I am Harry Potter, you know undesirable # 1. He has been after me for two months and I am still alive and kicking death eaters asses." The crowd that gathered let out a roar of laughter at hearing this.

Harry looked disgusted as he took his sword and cut off his head "This one is way too stupid to be worthwhile to anyone. I believe we should send the Dark Wanker a bill for doing him a favor." The crowd began to chuckle. While a young teenage girl made it to the front of the crowd. Her eyes opened wide in surprise as she saw Harry Potter and Hermione Granger with four dead death eaters on the ground.

She was more shocked when Hermione began using a sticking charm to display the dead death eaters on the wall. She placed one facing towards the wall and stuck his face to his ass.

She then placed a sign above the displays "Death eaters – This is a notice that you have a very limited time to change. It is now taboo for any Death eater to use the term 'MUDBLOOD', Yours Truly Harry James Potter. P.S. if you are a death eater and you read this out loud you are really, really stupid.

Hermione chuckled as did the rest of the crowd. The girl asked "Aren't you afraid?"

Harry answered "Of what, a made up name like Lord Voldemort? I think not. His real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle and he was a half blood wizard who graduated Hogwarts in 1945. His mother Merope Gaunt used a Love potion on a local non magical boy from a rich family and got pregnant by him. He is nothing to be afraid of. You can spread the word that Harry J. and Hermione J. Potter are back and I will be hunting the death eaters down like the dogs that they are."

Harry and Hermione made their way into Gringotts bank to find Ragnok looking out the window laughing. "Lord Potter you are a scoundrel of the first order but I like your style."

Harry and Hermione bowed and kneeled before Ragnok "You honor me great Goblin warrior." They said.

Ragnok merely looked at them and laughed "Get up you daft humans and give this old Goblin a hug." Hermione jumped up and did exactly that with a laugh upon her lips and kissed his cheek. Harry gave him a hug after Hermione finished. Ragnok placed his arms over their shoulders and began to guide him to the offices in the back.

Ragnok spoke in a loud voice "You are a son and a daughter to the goblin nation and do not bow to your kin."

Hermione responded "We meant no disrespect great one but the humans here do not understand and we wished to show you the honor you are due."

Ragnok looked over to Harry "Harry if you do not make an honest woman of her soon I shall have your head."

"I am sorry great one but we have been a little busy lately. I promise it is on the top of my to do list right after I gut the dark Wanker and false Lord Voldeshorts." Harry stated. The last statement caused many humans in the gallery area to gasp in shock. The three disappeared behind the doors to everyone's shock and dismay.

Ragnok began walking faster "The queen sends her greetings and states your family arrived safely and that they are staying in your shelter in Phoenix city. She said the children are having a blast with their grandparents"

Hermione sighed heavily "I am sure they will spoil them rotten."

Harry got right to the point "Has she told you of our plan?"

Ragnok smiled "Oh yes my queen has done that. Our council agreed before she could even finish and voted yes just after. You will have the full support of the Goblin nation."

Hermione asked him "How is your main city of Tanth doing after four thousand years?"

Ragnok smiled "Actually we have added three other cities since that time and all are thriving. Harry you still hold the moniker of death enforcer. Your statue still stands in our main hall in every city."

Harry blushed "Oh how I wish I could live that down…not one of my better days."

Ragnok grinned "Nonsense, you slew an unjust ruler and led to our great society. You shall always be honored. Oh by the way about a thousand years after you left, Queen Bella placed a coin in the first vault of Gringotts for you and it has grown considerable since that time. If you need anything just ask."

Bella, Harry, Hermione, and Ragnok had a very happy reunion and meeting. Bella was glad to see them and stated that she had many things in the works. They had over the last few decades bought majority shares in every magical newspaper in ten continents. Right now they were allowing the local governments to control them but could seize control back with relative ease.

It was four hours later that Harry and Hermione rose from their seats. Hermione placed her arm into Harry's "Are you ready for the big show out front?"

Harry smiled "I was born ready. Shall we go make the death eaters more off balance?"

Bella kissed them on the cheek "Try not to play with your kills too much Harry… it makes you seem dark."

Harry smiled at her "Yes, My Queen." Harry retorted.

After they walked out the door Bella turned to Ragnok "Please don't interfere because we don't want to involve the Goblin nation just yet."

Ragnok sulked "You know it is wrong to deny us the pleasure of killing some stupid wizards."

Bella rubbed his shoulder "Yes, I agree but I will have your due soon enough… I promise."

Harry and Hermione walked to the front of the bank doors disillusioned. Hermione bumped Harry's shoulder. "I think we can get at least half of them to take themselves out."

Harry's grin turned feral "I think we can get all of them but two and I will place sticking charms on those two."

Hermione smiled "Usual bet?"

Harry chuckled "One hour of whatever the winner wants."

Hermione frowned "It has to be something sexual, the last time you gave me an hour foot massage and you won the bet."

Harry smiled "Love you were nine month pregnant the last time and very miserable." Hermione kissed his cheek.

Harry grinned at her "Watch this." He state to his wife. Above the bank entrance appeared a sign in flashing letter "say mud blood." Three wizards fell down from those ready to attack them and four more bystanders fell down as well. Their open stare up told everyone what had happened.

Hermione frowned "That is so unfair Mr. Potter. So you got three and four bystanders. I can do better."

Hermione created a version of Harry and Hermione behind the Death eater Aurors. Someone in the crowd yelled "Look out they are behind you!" The entire group lined up turned to attack quickly. When they saw the pair standing there smiling a flurry of spells raced towards them. Just as the spells should have hit, their prey landed in the middle of the group, behind them.

The death eaters hurried released spells, many of which were dark curses and some killing curses too.

Harry watched and then clapped his hands as he started counting the bodies "Eleven, not bad. We have reduced their numbers by fourteen."

Hermione sighed "There are only ten more left. That is really not much of a challenge." She stated sounding disappointed. Hermione cracked a smile "Why are those three bent down and trying to…Mr. Potter you are devilishly clever man." Harry had a big smile.

"Well what say we go out and say hello?" Harry asked her. Harry did a cursory look "We have some friends lurking behind the bank pillars. I will be right back."

Harry had learned during many of his battles the art of battlefield apparition. He had practiced this skill particularly and was famous for it… well famous four thousand years ago anyway. Today he would make a definitive mark on many people as he showed the fine art of being in multiple places at once. At least anyone standing in the crowd and four death eaters would never forget it.

Harry apparated four times in quick succession and the crowd watched the four Auror death eaters heads roll down the Gringotts bank steps. All anyone saw was a fuzzy blur in four different locations and then suddenly there were four heads at the bottom of steps. Loud gasps could be heard as the crowd had enlarged in the last five minutes.

Harry came back to stand besides Hermione and placed his sword back in its scabbard. They smiled at each other and stood out in the open for everyone to see them. They looked comfortable, unafraid, and ready for anything.

The lead Auror death eater yelled "Harry Potter and Hermione Granger we are under orders from the Ministry of Magic to arrest you. Drop your wands and no harm will come to you." He stated.

Harry smiled which unnerved the man "What am I being arrested for?"

The auror looked shocked for a second "The Ministry has been looking for you for months."

Hermione asked "Why were they looking for us?"

The lead auror looked around "Well I am not sure really but our boss told us to bring you in."

Hermione chuckled "So you have no arrest warrant and no formal charges, is that correct?"

The lead Auror death eater looked around stupidly and nodded his head. Harry sighed "Come on really why don't we just get to the truth of the matter. The real reason is that Voldemort…" There was a distinct pop of apparition and various body parts were suddenly strewn in front of the bank.

One of the Auror death eaters pointed at a head "That was Jones snatcher team look how badly they have been splinched."

Another Auror DE answered "He is dead you moron. Somebody has placed an anti-apparition ward… from the looks of it a deadly one."

The lead auror yelled "You did that Potter. Now we can add murder to your list of charges."

Hermione rolled her eyes "You are required to prove that allegation. How do we know you didn't place the ward and are now trying to blame it on us? Everyone knows that Death eaters like to shutdown the floo network and add anti apparition wards when they attack. It is far more likely that the DE's who placed the ward screwed up."

A third Auror DE stated "Jensen go check your wards."

The leader became embarrassed as the crowd behind began to chuckle.

Harry had a small smirk as he started again "Anyway as I was saying the real reason the ministry wants me is because Voldemort…" Another series of pops were heard and more body parts appeared on the ground. Harry rolled his eyes but continued "…wants me. And Voldemort…" another series of pops and more body parts, "…is trying to use the ministry to do it."

Harry noticed that Hermione was trying to hold back her laughter. "Now if Voldemort…"

Three pops were heard this time and the lead Auror death eater looked upset "Quit saying his name! You are getting people killed."

Hermione in anger "Those aren't people that are dying, the real people are the muggles and the half bloods that they kidnap and then torture. So I have no mercy for bullies and people that think they are superior because of blood and how stupidly ridicules that thought is. So if every time I say Voldemort's…" Pop, Pop, pop "Name and a snatcher does not waste any more oxygen, then it is a very good day indeed…Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort!" Hermione finished. It was noted that the last three uses there were no pops heard at all.

Harry then continued "Thank you Hermione the interruptions were becoming quite annoying. As I was saying if Voldemort wants me so badly I would think a formal invitation would be so much better. Who knows I might actually answer an invitation from the Dark Tosser…." Harry looked puzzled "Probably not but who knows. He should at least try."

Hermione took a breath "As for you illegal attempt to arrest us. I think you should go back to the ministry and fill out the proper paper work, writs and what not so that you may arrest us legally." Suddenly there was a flurry of activity from Harry and Hermione as the remaining death eaters started falling on the ground dead. When the lead Auror came back to his senses he was standing there with no wand and looking into the deadly glare of a set of green and light brown eyes. He also realized he was scared.

Harry had his wand and snapped it in front of him. Harry reached for the Death eater's spare wand and snapped it. "I have declared it open season on all death eaters. I will absolutely show no mercy to any of them. You are the lone survivor so that you can go back to your master and his mindless minions to carry this message. There are going to be consequences to acting badly and I suggest that you rethink what you are doing. Tell them that Harry Potter and Hermione Potter stopped over forty-three today and we didn't even break a sweat."

The death eater, with eyes opened in fright, felt Harry's hand on his chest and then he felt a pull of his body as he was flung backwards. He screamed very loudly before his world turned dark.

RIDDLE MANOR – LITTLE HAGLETOWN

Voldemort was not happy. All morning he had been getting reports that Potter and his Mud blood ...Voldemort grimaced in obvious pain as even thinking that word hurt him through the mark. Voldemort recovered after a moment "Where are my snatcher teams? I want them out there looking for Potter, now!"

A younger Death eater kneeled "My lord all the snatcher teams are dead. Potter kept saying your name and calling them forth. He had a ward up that splinched them so bad they all died."

Voldemort's face was enraged "All fifteen of my teams are dead? Recruit more snatcher teams. I want my named feared across the isle."

The death eater responded "My Lord we have asked for volunteers and everyone refuses." The DE barely finished before Voldemort began to crucio him. Voldemort's anger was so great that the DE was soon rendered unconscious.

Voldemort was scowling as he sat back on his throne. Between the reports he had received from his inner circle members and the lesser circle death eaters, Potter had somehow managed to kill sixty-five DE's today. The count was still rising as more forgot that the mud blood… Voldemort winced in pain again… as that word was used by any with a dark mark was instant death to them.

The lone survivor, before Voldemort killed him, stated that the girl had touched his mark with her wand and cast a spell and then his partners had died when they spoke that derogatory term. Even Voldemort thought that was an impressive piece of magic. The girl had made that word taboo to speak by any death eater. He may have to move her higher on the list.

Voldemort realize that Potter was most definitely back….but from where? This Potter was not afraid and was out and about without a care. This Potter was very powerful and if the gruesome deaths this morning were any indication, not afraid to strike curse for curse. His DE's were in a quandary as to who they feared more Potter or him. Yes, Harry Potter had just become a thorn in his side. He was becoming on par with Albus Dumbledore and that would not do at all. The next thing you know that Potter brat would have Hogwarts back under his control. I should send Severus a warning he thought to himself.

**Chapter 17 **

Harry and Hermione apparated to the Hogwarts gate and Hermione waved her wand and began a series of modifications to the wards. Within minutes Severus Snape came charging out the main doors as he had felt a shift in the wards as he was teaching a fourth year potions class. Snape did not even wait for an explanation nor did he ask for one. He began firing curses, stunners, and bone breaking hexes as soon as he cleared the door.

Harry became annoyed quickly and apparated through Severus leaving his wand arm cut from his shoulder. Severus didn't feel any pain for a second until he realized wasn't fire curses from his wand. When he looked over he was shocked to find that he had no arm to hold a wand with. Harry had taken the wand and broken it cleanly before he cast a spell to burn his arm and Severus would have no chance to ever have it reconnected.

Harry took his sword and lifted Snape's face to look at him "You are a sorry excuse for a teacher, a headmaster, and a human being. I know that you have allowed Death Eaters to teach and torture children." Harry then let a big smile appear on his face "I am going to enjoy watching the children that you allowed to be tortured to do the same to you." Snape's face told Harry all he needed to know as he saw fear in his eyes. "See Snivellous if you weren't so selfish and so self serving your life could have been so much different. Now sit down and play nice before I cut your leg off and make you."

Hermione chimed in "Two minutes Harry and all those with a mark will desperately want to leave."

Harry asked "When will the wards transfer over to me."

Snivellous answered "You are so stupid and arrogant Potter. The wards will not transfer to you as long as I am headmaster."

Harry looked at him and grinned "Oh, Severus did I forget to tell you? You are fired!"

"They are transferring now." Hermione stated. Severus felt the pull of the wards away from him and was fighting it. Harry leaned down and hit him as hard in the nose as he could and Severus's eyes rolled up into his head. The Wards swiftly jumped to Harry and he was flooded with information about the castle.

Harry with fire in his eyes looked at the loathsome man "You dirty rotten son of a Bitch!" Harry kicked Severus squarely in the jaw and knew he had broken it. "Hermione the dungeons are in use and there are children in them…five muggle-born and numerous half bloods."

Hermione looked shocked "They wouldn't…" She looked down at Severus and kicked him in the stones as hard as she could.

Harry turned to the front doors as everyone that was marked as a death eater came running out the front doors. They were all holding their arms and looked very distressed. Harry threw up a shield to block their exit from the school grounds. The curse they had used as part of the new wards at Hogwarts caused any death eaters excruciating pain until they left the grounds.

Once Harry had found out what these bastards had done there was no way he would allow them to leave. They were going to suffer and suffer greatly for the hell they had put people through. They hit the shield and were bounced onto the ground and were laying there writhing in pain and agony.

Alecto Carrow screamed "Let me go, let me leave here. I can't take this pain." She begged. Hermione systematically went around and removed and then snapped all of their wands. She was surprised that the number of student marked death eaters was well over forty and with ten adult marked death eaters there as well. She saw two Gryffindors, many slytherin, some ravenclaws, and a hufflpuff student in the mix.

Harry watched the professors come out first Minerva, Professor Sprout, and Professor Flitwick they looked haggard and very tired. Then the students began to emerge. Maconagel was openly crying as she said in a raspy voice "The Dungeons, the kids need help." Before she fell to her knees and sobbed. Harry and Hermione had tears coming from their eyes.

Harry knelt down by Minerva "I am so sorry I could not get here quicker." Minerva looked at him and shook her head.

She quietly asked "Have you secured the wards? It is our only protection." She grabbed his lapel "You need to secure them. Potter you have to take charge for awhile." Minerva's eyes rolled into her head as she passed out.

Filius reached them "Mr. Potter she has been subjected to crucios weekly for the last month when they found her hiding children to protect them." Filius placed his hand on Harry's shoulder "I am very happy to see you back."

Neville was the surprise as he stomped by everyone and went to Amicus Carrow and began a systematic program of breaking every bone in his body "You sick mother fucker. I am going to kill anyone I meet with the Carrow name for the rest of my life." Neville then jumped on his chest and began to pommel the death eaters head, face and neck for the next few minutes. What surprised Harry is when the Gryffindor sword left his side and flew to Neville's hand.

Without Hesitation Neville looked at the sword and slowly cut his way across the lower abdomen of Amicus. Amicus then began screaming for bloody murder and begging for his life. Neville leaned down "I am going to come out here once a day and cast a healing spell so that you heal just enough to live another day. I hope when you get to Hell, they torture you for the rest of eternity."

Neville stood and pointed with the sword "Potter, whatever we do, I want some quality time with our esteemed headmaster. He didn't even try to protect us."

Harry stood and turned towards Neville "Had I known I would have been here sooner. I had something vital to accomplish."

Neville turned the sword handle to Harry "I think you killed the bigger snake, mine was only six foot so this belongs to you." Harry took it from him as Neville replied with a smile "Doesn't matter Harry, I am glad you are here now."

Neville turned to the students "Listen up I want all of these pieces of crap in the dungeons…"

Pomona Sprout yelled "Neville, language and please be more precise. These…" she pointed at a seventh year Slytherin and then kicked him "…are pieces of Shite." Pomona then stepped on his hand until bones broke. "You use your terms appropriately." Pomona grinned "I am going to have to take one point for your use of an incorrect term and award 150 points for your use of your fists and sword handling skills."

Neville smiled "Get these pieces of shite to the dungeons and let's get the students in the infirmary."

Filius turned to Harry "What are your instructions Headmaster?"

Harry turned to Professor Flitwick "I believe Mr. Longbottom has the right idea and we should follow his lead." Flitwick nodded.

Harry yelled out at a fading Neville "Longbottom, there is a staff meeting tonight at seven in the great hall and I expect you there." Neville didn't respond but gave the thumbs up sign.

Hermione held his hand "The wards are all charged and I have added a few new ones. It seemed professor Snape did not have the full cooperation of the wards and was forcing it."

Harry closed his eyes "Lady Hogwarts is responding to me and she is trying to repair as much as possible. The negative magic the DE's brought weakened her and she will be good in about of week." Harry laughed and turned to Hermione "She asks if we could do our patronuses as the positive emotions will help."

Harry and Hermione stood and incanted at the same time "Expecto Patronum" From their wands came a golden stag in full corporeal form and from Hermione's came a resplendent golden Doe as big as Prongs. The students who were around began to cheer as they were bombarded with positive feelings. The pair of Patroni took off and began to run around Hogwarts to bring cheer and good feelings."

It was an hour later that the Patroni faded into the wall. Lady Hogwarts was feeling much better. It was a bitter day for all concerned as the amount of crimes the death eaters had done became fully known. The only bright point was that no student was murdered and some had been expelled unjustly.

Hermione by that evening was not in a forgiving mood. She was supposed to release the spell that caused the DE's undue pain. She refused and left them to their lot in life. The next day confessions were heard and then memories collected from all the witnesses. Harry had sent copies to the ICW but was expecting no help.

The next few days were hectic for all concerned as many needed healing and the staff needed time as well.

On the fourth night Harry stood in the great Hall and watched as Minerva Maconagel limped with a cane all the way to the staff table. Harry turned the headmasters chair for her to sit and she looked at it and then to him. "Mr. Potter I believe the castle is better suited to choose her champion and I believe that champion is you. I concede the duties of Headmaster to you. I promise to help you in any way I can." Minerva sat down to his right.

The hall and the other staff stood to give him a standing ovation. "Would all students please rise and line up on the wall?" Once they had done that, Harry clapped his hands and the tables began to change shape and to move to align themselves much differently.

Harry looked over the students "I believe it is time for a change in our society. That change will start with our education. No longer will Hogwarts be divided by houses." Harry snapped his fingers and the pennants for each house was removed. "Each year will have a row of tables and the first years will be closest to the staff." Please take your seats.

The students began to mill about and then began to muster in accordance to houses. Harry sighed "Stop! If I wanted you to sit by houses then I would have left it as it was. You will all be going to dorms rooms by age, not house so you need to mix it up." The second sorting went quicker as the students got the hang of it." Harry held his hands up to quiet everyone "Welcome to the new Hogwarts, so tuck in."

**CHAPTER 18**

Voldemort was having a cow. When he found out that Hogwarts was no longer under his control, he decided that his number one priority was to get it back. He sent a fifty man detachment of death eaters dressed as Aurors. Hermione came out by herself and stood about ten feet from the gate. "Can I help you gentlemen?"

The leader an Auror named Yaxley walked closer to the gate "Yes, we were sent to take charge of Hogwarts after Mr. Potter liberated it."

Hermione smiled at him "That is ever so nice to hear sir and to know that responsible adults are coming to our rescue." Yaxley smiled at her "But if I may sir, as these are very dangerous times, we must be cautious in our dealings and we require that you provide documentation from the ministry of the order for you take over. After all sir there are children in here and we cannot just give them to anyone."

Yaxley looked her over and then gave a fake smile "Miss, I completely understand your concern but the minister did not sign any documents."

Hermione looked uncertain for a moment "Well, then once you get it come on back." Hermione then turned and ran back to the castle.

Yaxley was stunned and when he got too close to the wards he was suddenly thrown violently back. They left and returned an hour later.

Luna Lovegoode came out to speak with them "Did you bring the proper paperwork sir?' Yaxley banished the scroll to her and Luna looked it over "This is very good sir but it is missing the authorization from the Board of Governors'." Luna banished it back to him and then skipped away.

Yaxley and his men apparated away to return an hour later and Professor Maconagel walked down the path to the front gate "May I help you?"

Yaxley smiled "Headmistress you have to the count of ten to open the gates because if you don't you will be arrested for high treason."

Maconagel smiled "Really, just as you were in school Mr. Yaxley. You have made some assumptions that are wrong. I am not the headmistress we have a headmaster and he is indisposed at the moment. He currently has the school on lock down and is the only authorized person that can allow entrance."

Yaxley looked happy with a nice smile on his face "Well notify Severus we are here and he will let us in."

Maconagel laughed "You really were that stupid in school weren't you. Only the headmaster can let you in, so Severus cannot."

Yaxley looked confused "Who is the headmaster?"

"That would be Harry James Potter." Maconagel grinned "He is presently in the dungeon bitch slapping the death munchers that you left here. They are being punished for not treating the children properly."

Yaxley face turned red "You old windbag I will have you in chains for this." Yaxley was interrupted by Harry walking to the gate "Potter! You are under arrest."

Harry looked at him "What are the charges?"

Yaxley was livid "Because I said so you little bastard. You and your little mud…" Harry had apparated to the other side of the gate and then apparated back before Yaxley's head wobbled and then toppled to the ground." The rest of the aurors took a step back.

One Auror DE in the back stated "I didn't even see him move!"

Harry spoke quietly but with a firmness that caught everyone's attention "I will not allow that filthy derogatory term to be used at this school or around it. So I suggest you tone it down."

Another Auror stepped up "So it is true about what we heard happened in Diagon alley. You took care of all those men by yourself?"

Harry looked at him "Actually they said the wrong thing and it killed them. What did the witnesses say?"

The auror stood straighter "They all said the same thing. You arrived and started talking and then people began to die… they seemed pleased about it. How did you kill Yaxley just then?"

Harry smiled "Is that what you saw? As I said, he said the wrong thing and it killed him. I didn't see anything other than that. In fact one of your own stated exactly that."

The auror looked at him with a questioning eye "You are not going to let us in are you?"

Harry arched an eyebrow "You don't act like a typical DE; you seem a little smarter than the usual dense DE."

The aurors eyes shifted to the men behind him and then back to Harry. Harry got the distinct impression that he wanted to say more but couldn't. "If we couldn't arrest you we were to give you a message. Voldemort states that if you value your life you should leave. Hogwarts does not belong to you and he wants' it back. He says you have one week."

The auror winked at him "He says do not give people sanctuary or he will make many others suffer."

Harry smirked "I care nothing about what he wants. Hogwarts stands as a symbol to all those he tries to oppress. We will give sanctuary to any who seeks its' shelter."

The Auror smirked "That is what I thought you would say." He turned around and held his hands up "We will not get in today. You heard the man. Goins, Gilbert, and Tram go back to HQ and file a report." The three men left and then the Auror stated "The rest of you we are to stun any that don't want sanctuary here." In the next instant complete bedlam happened as more than half of the aurors turned and attacked the others. Within minutes ten had port keyed away.

Mr. Potter my name is Auror Philburt I am not a death eater. I have twenty-eight men from the Auror corps who wish to join you."

Harry looked at him "I got that but how can I trust you?"

Philburt raised his wand "I vow to protect and defend Hogwarts School, staff, and students that Harry Potter deems as enemies and I vow to assist Harry Potter in all that he does. So mote it be."

Harry smiled as he moved to the gate "Do any of you carry the dark mark?" everyone shook their heads no. Harry made a log rope appear and made a port key to the great hall which he asked Lady Hogwarts to lock down. Maconagel apparated to the great hall and disillusioned herself after turning back into Hermione.

Harry gave the men the rope "This is a port key into the great hall. Where we will sit down and discuss how you can help us." Philburt nodded as the aurors started to grab on. Once they had all touched it, they disappeared to appear in the great hall. Harry arrived just before they did with his shields raised.

Five aurors began to moan from pain and then grabbed their left arms. Five other aurors turned around and started hitting and kicking the first five. Wayne Walton began kicking the living stuffing out of an Auror who reacted to the wards as being a death eater. "You slimy son of a bitch! You are a dead man. You had me imperious for three days." Finally one of the other Aurors pulled him away when the DE started spitting up blood.

Harry turned to Philburt "See they didn't listen and they will die because of it. The wards at Hogwarts have been set so that any person who took the dark mark will suffer excruciating pain." Philburt nodded his understanding.

Philburt sat down heavily "There are a few in the ministry that have been waiting for something to happen, something to rally around. Mr. Potter you are a god send. When word gets around that you seized Hogwarts then people will start coming."

Hermione stood next to Harry "Philburt?"

Philburt smiled "My first name is Bob actually." Hermione smiled back at him.

"You are the first one up." Hermione stated "The first is a potions neutralizer and the second is Veratim serum. We have to screen you." Bob just nodded and stuck out his tongue.

It was ten minutes later that Bob became alert again. Hermione handed him two potions "You are in charge of this lot and all must be screened… I don't care how much or how well you know someone all will be screened." Hermione paused so Bob had to look up "If you miss anyone and some kid gets killed I will kill you myself…it's that important!"

Bob gulped heavily "Understood."

**Little Hagletown Voldemort and Minister Meeting**

"Minister I have told you that Harry potter is interfering with my operations. I have 300 hundred men who fear to say a simple word. I have a magical population that does not fear to say mine. I have lost nearly 150 men in the last two days. What do you intend to do about it?"

The minister responded "What is it you would have me do? The Wizgenmont does not fear you as they once did. Harry Potter is cutting into your power base and Harry Potter raises everyone's hope. His presence was only known since two days ago. If this keeps up all of my support as Minister will be gone."

Voldemort slammed his fist down "Harry Potter has been a thorn in my side for far too long. I need another week to amass my forces to strike at Hogwarts. You must hold the ministry together for that long so I can defeat the boy who lived."

The minister frowned at his dismissal "Yes, My Lord." He stated before walking out.

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - **

Hermione and Harry were in the great Hall at seven PM. The staff walked in and sat down around them. The last person in was Neville Longbottom. He looked very tired as did all the staff.

"I know you are all very tired, sore, and mentally beat. I will keep this short and to the point. We have to protect the students of this school at all cost. Unfortunately my seizing Hogwarts ensures that Voldemort will attack the school to get it back."

Minerva cracked a small smile "It is not your fault Harry. You stopped a massive atrocity that was occurring every day. There are forty-three…"

Neville interrupted "There are forty now. I found a Hufflpuff 14 year old girl in a closet and she had been raped numerous times. It was three seventh year Slytherin boys, Harkins, Fouton, and Devers. Neville closed his eyes "After I shoved their own dicks in their mouths I gutted them. They deserved a lot worse."

Maconagel gave Neville a hug "Neville makes my point perfectly. Why are they still within this school?"

Harry wiped his face "I know what I wish to do with them but I did not suffer the most by their hand. The students and you did. What do you want to do with them?"

It was Pomona who spoke first "My vote is we tie them up and banish them to the spiders den so that they die a slow painful death."

Minerva then spoke "I am all for that except with Snape. The man is a coward and deserves the worst we can give him." She said with venom "He allowed those monsters in here and in some cases helped them torture victims."

Filius then spoke next "My vote is for the Spiders as well. They say it is a very, very painful and slow once the spider's venom enters your body. It takes three days for the internal organs too liquefy. It drives the person insane with pain."

Hermione spoke up "Then all but Snape go to the colony. What do we do about him?

Minerva shook her head "If I see him I would kill him on site and I am not a torturer."

Harry spoke up "May I take care of him. I have something special in mind that I believe will do nicely. Hogwarts has asked me to bring him to the room of requirements as she feels particularly betrayed as he was the headmaster when all this happens. He took the wards by force and it is the same as rape to her."

Minerva grinned "I vote yes to that. Hogwarts worked as best she could to protect us, save for Severus she could have done a lot more. She needs to heal as well."

Hermione asked "I don't object to this but my curiosity wants to know what she will do."

Harry was about to respond but was interrupted by a vision of a woman with long flowing robes who appeared "I will make Severus feel every hurt every pain that he allowed to happen or that he caused to happen while he was here. It will not be pleasant and I believe in twenty years when I spit him out he will be quite insane."

Harry looked at her "Lady Hogwarts I and the staff defer to your wisdom and punishment. Snivellous shall be brought to you within the hour." Lady Hogwarts merely smiled before she gave a bow and disappeared from the room again.

**CHAPTER 19**

Harry and Hermione had taken up residence in the Headmaster's Chambers. It was the first time that a married couple had occupied the chambers in a few centuries. Hogwarts modified it to a nice suite with a brilliant library. Hermione was very happy with the new accommodations. She was thinking about many things while lying on Harry's chest as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Harry was smiling at her as he watched her facial expression "Knut for your thoughts?"

Hermione smiled but did not open her eyes "That's it only a Knut? I think I am worth a lot more than that."

Harry chuckled "Oh, I whole heartedly agree. I will have to talk to the big boss to get you a raise." Harry paused "Love, our number one employee asked for a raise. What do you think?"

Hermione began to laugh "If it is the same employee then her salary is more than adequate… perhaps you should offer her some incentive." Hermione was smiling as she walked her fingers up his arm "Maybe headmaster you should talk about increasing her benefits package."

Harry grinned "Benefits…hmm. What kind of benefits are we talking here? If we aren't careful then other employee's will want the same."

Hermione moved up his body "This very important employee would expect those as exclusive benefits only. In fact she would probably demand it." Hermione leaned down and kissed his lips "She would probable demand some one on one time with the new head master."

Harry held her waist tightly "I think we should negotiate this much later, like tomorrow sometime. I have suddenly become very distracted." Hermione giggled as he flipped her over to pin her to the bottom.

It had been nearly a week since their return and had been almost four days since taking back Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione had worked with the staff to get classes back on track. Harry had many problems to contend with but most them were minor and posed little difficulty but required only his time.

His most prominent problem was how to keep the smaller children out of harm's way once Voldemort began his attack. He did not have time to deal with this once he arrived but it was too important to him to leave it alone.

Ragnok came up with the solution that was simple and gave the children a maximum amount of protection. Ragnok would allow all of them to Port Key to Gringotts bank and they would be cared for in the lower levels. They would have Goblin females as attendants with letters going to the families to allow them to pick them up or allow them to stay.

Harry smiled as Ragnok presented his plan "It never hurts to indoctrinate the young wizards and witches that Goblins are not the creature everyone believes, Eh?"

Ragnok smiled "Well good publicity never hurt business."

Harry chuckled "You are a good friend to the high guard and Wizards. They don't deserve the kindness you are showing them."

Ragnok held his finger up "Ah, but the children do." Ragnok said that and Harry nodded his agreement before starting on another topic "I have a message from the Queen." He stated with a smile.

Harry grinned before Ragnok continued "She has everything prepared and upon your signal will begin the final action to ensure that the High Council's plan succeeds."

Harry was very happy upon hearing this "Ragnok, thank you because that is very good news." Ragnok departed and left Harry feeling much better.

**Little Hagletown** –

Voldemort stood on a raised platform looking over his 400 DE's. He thrust his arm up to get their attention. "My faithful followers tomorrow we begin the end of our long quest to achieve our goals. Tomorrow we will take back Magical Britain from the muggleborn, the Half-blood, and the dark creatures that try to wrestle control of our rightful heritage from us.

No longer shall the pure blood have to bow before those less worthy. The Ministry has been under our control for the last ninety days. We have had many challenges to face but I tell you that many muggle born have been convicted of stealing magic from the rightful owners of it."

There were many cheers across the vast chamber Voldemort began again after the applause died down. "We are on the cusp of a new magical era that Salazar himself could only dream of." Another wave of cheers rose from the crowd. "Once we have achieved our final victory, then the real subjugation of all those less worthy will begin and we will fashion the world the way it should be."

The crowd began to cheer as a form appeared in the air above them. Hermione Potter appeared hovering on one of Harry's discs. She looked around as several called out "Look it's the Mudblo..." before thirteen wizards fell over dead.

Hermione chuckled "Well Tommy you certainly know how to pick them. If any of your faithful followers had an ounce of brains they would almost be amusing."

"What is it that you want… you foul creature." Voldemort screamed at her.

Hermione smiled "What's a matter moldy shorts are you afraid of a little word like mud blood. Show your Death nibblers how much of a man you are. Say it for me big boy don't be afraid." She taunted him.

Voldemort's face was a mask of rage as he screamed at her "You are dead mudblo… Ahhrg!" Voldemort fell over in great pain. Hermione started laughing at him.

"For those of you who don't know me my name is Hermione Potter…" before she could continue twenty people from the crowd raised their wand at her. Within seconds twenty-two wizards fell down dead with small metal spikes protruding from their bodies.

Harry whispered over his communications stones "Arthaine you are suppose to only kill the ones who raised their wand."

Gavin, the sleds driver answered "General that is my fault I bumped the wall as he fired."

Harry shook his head "Well, it was only a death eater and two extra is not a bad thing, so carry on."

Hermione began again "Does anybody else want to try and kill the mud blood?" Many hooded faces took a step back. "I see… just how I expect cowards to act when faced with forces that fight back. What about you Tommy, anything else to add?" Voldemort only looked at her and sneered but made no reply.

Hermione began to hover towards the main window "I have had a really great day so far as I have watched thirty-five bigots die! Have a nice day." The window was shattered before she flew out of it.

Voldemort got shakily to his feet and watched his followers looking at him. He saw many emotions but some had the look he had seen before, they doubted him and their beliefs. "Go prepare yourselves as we take back Hogwarts in two days." After everyone had left the room he looked at the floor littered with the dead DE's. He realized that his once strong organization was being whittled away piece by piece. He had yet to draw any blood from his enemy while the enemy claimed over two hundred of his soldiers. Even for a psychopath this was not a good omen.

The next two days were tense for the castle occupants as everyone kept to a routine to try and relieve the tension. Harry and Hermione noticed it but did not want people to forget the fear they were feeling. They would use it in the coming days and weeks to make radical changes to society. Fear of dying would cause people to quit hanging on to the old ways and they intended to use it to their benefit.

It was just as everyone was sitting down to eat the evening feast on Thursday; Professor Sprout came into the hall and announced that they had an Army at the gate. Everybody stopped what they were doing before looking at the head table for directions.

Harry stood up promptly and in a very calm voice stated "You all know what to do. Professors make sure that all third years and below get out of the Castle before doing anything else. Let's move people!" He finished with a shout. People sat still for a moment before quickly rising and going about their duties.

Harry and Hermione stood standing as the hall emptied quickly. Harry smiled at Hermione before giving her a light kiss. Hermione grinned at him "That's it? I wait seven years and all this just for a light kiss."

Harry chuckled at her "I will make you a promise my wife. If you promise not to get hurt… too badly, I will give you a spectacular wedding and I promise on our wedding night I will make you forget your own name."

Hermione gave him a radiant smile "If you promise me husband that you will not get hurt too badly then I will be at our spectacular wedding and I will make you forget your name on our wedding night."

Harry and Hermione stood looking at each other as they snapped their fingers and their Armor appeared on them. Harry touched his forehead to hers "We have an accord?"

Hermione closed her eyes and inhaled deeply "We do, husband." Hermione did not release her hold of him and then looked deeply into his eyes "Love, I thank you for not sending me away. I feel your inner turmoil and fear for my safety and know this is hard for you. You are the very air I breathe."

Harry let a small tear roll down his cheek "Hermione one day mankind must thank you for without you there would be no people on this world." They released each other and made their way to their respective posts. Harry took a post by the front door with sixty aurors that had made their way to the castle and he had oaths from all of them.

Hermione had made her way to the astronomy tower and a disc war sled. She disillusioned the sled before making a sweeping reconnaissance of the entire grounds. As she finished with her first sweep she gave her report to Harry "All is clear within the wards and I am heading outside the wards to see what forces are aligned against us."

Just as Hermione passed through the wards "Hello Caveman and Bookworm, your favorite Psycho is here and in position." They heard through their mirrors.

Harry laughed "Love, if it isn't our favorite Queen in the whole wide world."

Bella chuckled "Potter don't make me come over and make Hermione jealous."

Hermione was laughing "Bella, if we finish this tonight I will make Harry give you a kiss."

Bella said with excitement "Oh that is a great incentive."

Harry stated with indignation "Excuse me for interrupting but the slab of man beef was wondering if you could tell him what we are facing… sometime tonight."

Hermione answered in her teasing voice "Do you feel abused dear?"

Harry growled and then Bella retorted "Hermione, look he can do more than grunt. How they grow up so fast."

Hermione was laughing "I think I shall quit while we are ahead."

Harry said with sarcasm "That would be appreciated and very wise."

Hermione was silent for many seconds "Well it looks like we have about a hundred at the gate. I believe some curse breakers are working on bringing the wards down, about ten of them."

Harry answered "I barely feel them and they barely have the power to tickle the wards."

Hermione kept flying around "We have another two hundred DE's about two hundred yards further back with Werewolves on the left flank and Vampires to the right of them."

Bella chimed in "Do you see who is in charge of the werewolves?"

Hermione looked before replying "Not sure, but it maybe Greyback." Hermione continued on her scouting mission. "They have another large group on the backside of Hogwarts trying to come from the rear. I would say about 150 fighters."

Bella stated "The Goblins will be coming on the road from Hogsmeade. They should have two companies worth and I will ask them to take care of those on the backside."

Harry smiled "Seems like we are all set then. Are you ready ladies?" Hermione and Bella responded with a yea.

"Let me go shake the hornet's nest." Harry said as he began walking to the main gate.

**Chapter 20 **

Harry was within fifty feet of the gate when he felt the wards pulse a little bit before the pressure stopped. As he continued on before Voldemort noticed him "If it isn't Headmaster Potter to come call on us how nice." Voldemort said with much disdain in his voice.

Harry smiled "Tom Marvolo Riddle I have to inform you that your application for DADA professor was passed over…again" Lord Voldemort sneer only deepened at Potter's attempt to bait him about his past.

Voldemort responded "I am afraid I no longer wish to teach children I have much more pressing matters to attend to these days."

Harry responded with a snicker "Oh, yes I can see that and I notice that you brought many of your pureblood squib friends with you today for show and tell." Harry flicked his fingers and a sign flashed above the gates that said 'mud blood' Five death eaters fell down dead. This caused Harry to laugh.

Voldemort was quite irate by Harry's very calm demeanor "Potter would it be too much to ask for your girlfriend to remove the curse?"

Harry smiled at him "Don't like the word as taboo? Too bad Tommy boy! You should have thought about that before you decided to wage war and terrorize innocent people. I have no sympathy for your murdering horde." Harry said

Voldemort raised his wand and screamed at him "That name no longer has any meaning for me. It is a forgotten past." Voldemort then smiled "Yes, it is too much for me to do that but if you fear me so much then perhaps you can leave and give me back my school."

Harry shrugged his shoulders "All right, have it your way but just remember I did try."

One of Voldemort's men apparated beside him and spoke softly. Harry heightened his hearing to listen in "My Lord the Ministry has been taken over by soldiers who say they are the High Guard race and they are not human. They have removed all humans from the premise and are well entrenched. We lost fifteen to twenty men in the fight."

Voldemort turned with concern in his voice "None of our people are there?"

The DE responded "The High Guard made everyone leave. They have the area covered completely and my Lord they took no losses that we could see. We saw only two High Guard the entire time but the leader appeared female and was giving orders to many that we could not see. It was very strange my lord."

Voldemort became enraged at hearing this "Are you telling me we have no foothold in Magical Britain anymore?" The DE nodded the confirmation to him and looked rather worried because Voldemort never took bad news well.

Harry smiled "Tommy, bad news maybe?" Voldemort turned to Harry and looked at him deep in thought. Harry began to chide him even more "I would say I am sorry that you have lost the Ministry and Hogwarts but I am not really sorry at all."

Voldemort took a deep breath "I see Mr. Potter that you have gained allies since our last encounter."

Harry gave Tommy a very serene and happy face "Allies, no these are more special than just allies they are friends and most importantly they are my family." Harry stated with conviction.

Voldemort sneered at him "They are frivolous weaknesses and I will be more than happy to show you as many times as possible as my followers and I kill them."

Harry sighed and with speed that not even Voldemort could follow, Harry combat apparated to cut the messenger's head off and was back on the other side of the fence before Tommy even knew he had moved. Harry sheathed the sword which surprised Voldy and then he heard the thud of the DE that was standing beside him, hitting the ground. Voldemort jumped back to miss the head rolling across his feet.

"Tommy you looked shocked, why is that?" Harry asked him. Harry then pushed out like he was pushing a wall. The DE's within twenty feet appeared as if a big wind had made them fly back. Voldemort with great strain remained standing…barely.

Lord Voldemort hissed his disapproval "That was impressive Harry. It seems you have suddenly learned much more than I was told."

Harry with a straight face showing no fear looked into his eyes. He felt a soft tingle on his mind and Harry lowered his shields. The probe he felt retreated quickly from his mind "You want in Tommy, you think you can handle it? You know absolutely nothing about me. If you knew the things I knew you would shit your diapers and run home… oh wait you don't have a home!"

Voldemort tensed up and held back his rage "You should show me more respect and after tonight you will go to your grave realizing how stupid you were."

Harry just smiled "Have you checked with your curse breakers yet? They seem to have some difficulties getting the wards down."

Voldemort turned to his ten curse breakers and saw six were on their knees and looked very magically drained. The other four looked almost ready to fall as they wobbled on unsteady feet. When Voldemort looked closer he realized that all of them looked seventy to eighty years old. The three oldest were in their late thirties.

Harry began again "You can send as many as you want because your Death eaters can never break these wards. These wards are very special in that instead of the wards deflecting energy sent at them, they absorb that energy. Your ward breakers are having the life force sucked out of them to charge our wards."

Voldemort responded "Any ward can be broken it is just a matter time and power."

Harry grinned "Well then go ahead big boy show me your power, let's see you do it." They stood looking at each other and two more curse breakers fell. Within a minute the other two fell to their knees and the ward breaking spell was broken. "My Lord I have never felt a ward like that before. It is completely foreign to me. We will not be able to break through it." The old man passed out after he finished.

Harry added "Ah that is too bad. I guess Hogwarts will stay out of your grasp… as will the Ministry." Harry walked closer to the gate "I will help you out a little and I will move to the outside of the wards so we can get back to our lives…

Harry vanished and appeared on a hill a quarter of a mile away. Harry looked around and found that he was on the same hill that he had defeated Voldemort from before. He looked to the hill to the west and saw Bella standing there with a smile. She nodded to him and then raised her sword. A company of High Guard troops flitted into view around her.

Voldemort's followers turned to face Harry on the hill when Hermione suddenly jumped down beside him. Voldemort watched with curious fascination. One thought that kept running through his mind is that Harry Potter was full of surprises.

Voldemort did not hesitate any longer as he yelled "Attack and kill them!" As one the entire mass of DE's began surging forward and firing spells. Hermione threw up a shaped shield spell called Protego Glacis Maximo. The shield reflected upward any spell that hit it. Before the DE's could think to go to more lethal curses and hexes, the front ranks began to fall down with Small metal spike protruding from their bodies.

Within a minute only eight DE's escaped the metal spikes to attack Harry and Hermione. Harry finished those eight very quickly as they did not move together. When he finished he stood around eight dismembered bodies and Voldemort looked at him in awe.

Voldemort did not wait long before he sent the next attack the vampires and then immediately called forth the werewolves and another two hundred DE's. Voldemort's intent was to press him from all sides. Hermione was quick on the up take and allowed the vampires to advance. She waited until they were fully out in the open and then cast Maximum Sol Lumos. Many vampires did not know this spell existed but a few had not seen it cast in centuries. Their last thoughts were of a very bright object that lit the battlefield just as if it were daylight.

Bella had reached to be in front of the werewolves as they were just beginning their charge. Bella had a rolled up newspaper and smacked Fenir Greyback squarely in the nose. He reeled back and was about to attack until he saw Queen Bella standing before him. He immediately fell to his knees before her.

"My queen what have I done to displease you?" he asked her in shock. Bella walked up and smacked his nose again.

"I will tell you what. You have infected many humans with your virus on purpose. What did I tell you about that?"

Fenir whimpered when he was hit the second time which caused all of his pack to stop before they passed him. He listened and then hung his head lower "They are only humans your majesty and hardly worth your time and effort and they treat us badly." He stated to her.

Bella gasped "Fenir Greyback I should behead you were you kneel. We cannot treat others this way it is against our code." Bella smacked him again "You are the leader of your pack and your nation. Four thousand years ago when I and Harry Potter defeated your nation, you gave your oath and fealty to us. Now I find that your word is worthless."

Bella grabbed under his chin and forced him to look over to Harry and Hermione who were both ravaging the front ranks of DE's that were attacking. Already there was a large body count in front of them. "That Fenir is the Harry Potter you remember. Once he finds out what you have led your nation to do he will show you no mercy."

Fenir gasped "That can't be he would be thousands of years old."

Bella smiled "I can assure you that is the Harry Potter and he is alive and well with his mate."

Fenir looked back at her with fear "What can I do so that my entire nation does not get exterminated?"

Bella handed him a vial "You and your nation will find all of your victims and will fix them." Bella then handed him a piece of parchment "This is the potion you will need to make and add a drop of blood. You will cure all your victims before you return to ask Harry's forgiveness." Bella answered.

Fenir nodded before turning and howling at his pack. They turned and ran from the battlefield.

Harry had looked over and saw the Werewolves leaving and smiled. Harry spoke to Hermione all that is left are the death eaters. Within five more minutes the death eaters were decimated when a contingent of Aurors arrived from the Ministry in hiding and led by Amelia Bones.

Voldemort was corralled into an ever narrowing circle of High Guard and Aurors with Harry and Hermione already standing in the center. Voldemort looked very afraid as Harry took a burlap bag and threw it at his feet. The contents spilled quickly out for Tom to view its contents. His diary, Locket, Nagini, a Diadem, Hufflepuff's cup, and a ring missing its stone lie in ruins.

Harry looked at him "There is no coming back for you after today. This will be your final battle although I suspect that in hell you will face many other challenges." Harry noticed that his face had pieces missing and his skin was scaling off as he stood there. "You have used a lot of magic today and you look a bit worse for wear."

Voldemort looked to be in panic mode as his magic reserves were much depleted. He finally began to understand the danger he was in. He carefully, while trying to be unnoticed reached for an emergency Port Key and once in his hand tried to activate it. "Tom there will be no reprieve for you today. The port key will not work, nor can you apparate out of here. This is your last day."

Harry with a quick motion that very few could even see moved forward and struck a sword into his stomach, this pierced his magical core and the Basilisk venom began to eat away at it. Voldemort looked down and found a dagger sticking from his heart and then looked up to find Harry had withdrawn the sword from him and was now swinging it towards his neck. The last memory he would ever remember was Harry Potter slicing his head off.

Cheers erupted from all corners of the battlefield as Voldemort grotesque head rolled down the hill to come to rest near a pile of death eaters who had already died. Hermione banished his head to the center of the pile. Once Harry grabbed Voldemort's wand, Hermione banished his body to the same pile.

Hermione closed her eyes as she cast fiend frye spell on the last pile of death eaters. People began running backwards to get away as they were afraid it would start to consume them. Hermione's control had everyone stunned as she held it for many seconds and then released the fire causing it to go completely out. All that remained of the bodies was a small pile of ash which quickly began blowing away.

**Chapter 21**

Amelia walked up to Harry and Hermione "I am sorry we did not get here sooner. It took time for me to gather forces as we were scattered for our protection."

Harry grinned at her "You were an added bonus at the end and you saved many lives."

Professor Maconagel walked up "Head master Potter can we get the castle from under lockdown so the students can send messages home."

Harry turned to Hermione and she stepped forward "Amelia is this all that's left of the Ministry personnel?"

Amelia shook her head "No, this is all that is left of the auror corp. I brought 95 with me and it looks like we lost seventeen."

Harry spoke "I have about thirty-five that sought refuge with me."

As Harry said that Auror Bob Philburt stepped forward "I am down to sixteen. We had ten die and the rest are in very serious condition. "

Harry nodded to him "I release you from your oath and thank you for your help and your sacrifice." Philburt moved behind Madam Bones."

Hermione spoke again "Now that we have that out of the way we need to figure out how to rebuild our government and help people who need it."

Amelia gave a sigh and stood straighter "I am the most senior person still alive and it falls on me to put us back together."

Bella walked up with her wand in her hand. Hermione and Harry raised theirs and all three pointed them at her. Amelia looked shocked but before she could raise her wand, Harry had snatched it from her hands. The rest of the aurors saw this and raised theirs.

Hermione as calmly as if taking a casual stroll stated "Stop, you are going to have to surrender." Loud gasps were heard from the crowd. Undaunted Hermione continued "Madam Bones what do you think is going to be rebuilt?"

Amelia answered "The ministry, our government and getting back to the way we were."

Harry answered "No, that is not the right way to fix this and we cannot allow this to start all over again." Amelia's eyes looked at him in surprise.

Hermione gently began "We cannot have it that way it was. Changes must be made otherwise another Dark Wanker will be born in twenty to thirty years and we have no stomach for that. Your choices now are to surrender or die, Mrs. Bones."

Amelia's eyes flashed and then burned with anger "I did not help you to then betray my country for a self proclaimed dictator."

Harry showing her no concern or remorse stated "Amelia Stop! Listen very closely to me because I have no patience for this. Look behind you and then look above you."

Amelia looked behind her and saw that her Aurors had been deftly surrounded by what she now knew were the High Guard elves. She also did a mental count and realized her Aurors were outnumbered four to one. Tactically she was in a very bad position and should she fight she knew they had little hope for victory. She turned back around and looked at Harry before he pointed up and there appeared a High Guard War sled floating. Her mouth hung open in awe.

Harry twitched his fingers and a target appeared fifty foot away. Harry clicked his fingers and suddenly fifty steel darts appeared in the target. Harry turned back to Amelia and his eyes became deadly serious with his resolve. "You have no hope of winning and I would have your forces massacred in less than two minutes. You don't have a choice it is just the way it is going to be."

Professor Maconagel began in indignation "Harry I did not help you so you could do this. You are acting as dark as Voldermort himself."

Hermione answered "Minerva, shut it! You don't understand anything that is going on here or what needs to be done to fix our country. You adults had your chance to fix things for the last fourteen years. You already left to a teenager and you presume he should just turn his back and let the adults do it all again. You are making assumptions about our intent without knowing what we are truly up to"

Minerva was about ready to retort when Harry spoke first "Voldemort is no longer here he died by my hand…for the second time. This country owes me and I am going to collect my due." Harry turned and faced Amelia Bones "My due comes only in magical Britain's absolute and total surrender to me."

Amelia looked at him and then her shoulders slumped in defeat "As interim Minister of Magic I and the Ministry surrender." Amelia turned to her aurors "Drop your wands and listen to Lord Potter."

Auror Shacklebolt stepped forward "Amelia you can't do this, not after all we have been through."

Amelia turned on him "Shack don't be stupid or daft. We have no choice look around because we are already surrounded. They hold the upper hand here as we have walked into a very clever trap."

Auror Shacklebolt turned to Harry who had no emotion on his face as he glared just as harshly at the older auror "Potter I believed in and I trusted you. I can't believe my trust was so misplaced." He threw his wand down on the ground in front of Harry and began turning to walk back.

Harry watched as every Auror came up and did the same thing one by one. Harry turned to Bella "Have the High Guard make camp here. We shall be staying for a while. Bella meet us in the great hallway in ten minutes."

Harry then turned to Amelia "Have your aurors take back their wands and begin clean up of the battle field. I want you and Auror Shacklebolt to stay with me." Harry turned to the Goblins "Ragnok do you need assistance with your wounded?" Ragnok shook his head no. "Good, have you selected another to represent your people on the council of nine?" Ragnok smiled and nodded yes. "Good, follow me to the great hall."

Harry then turned to the werewolves and found the second in command and told him to follow. Harry then turned to a crowd of ministry workers and yelled out "Is Remus Lupin here?" Soon a commotion came from the left side of the group and Harry actually smiled as he saw him. "Remus you will follow me to the great hall."

Remus stood proud "I don't think so Harry and I'm appalled by your behavior tonight. Do what you want but I will not follow you blindly. So kill me now and be done with it."

Harry gave a slight smirk "What no comment about how James and Lilly would be disappointed with me? What about you were willing to follow Albus Dumbledore as he let hundreds of innocent people die as he did nothing to help? "

Remus actually growled "I don't think I can say their names in the same sentence as yours."

Harry laughed "Remus your attitude is exactly why this society is so sick and twisted. You allow murders to walk freely among you and you do nothing to stop them so you can maintain your allusion of a light soldier." Harry turned to look at Amelia "You train Aurors to fight crime so the Ministry political justice system can release them to start all over again." Harry shook his head and snorted a small laugh "And now suddenly because I tell you I am not going to allow it any longer, you say I am dark… so be it, if your way is light, then dark I will be! You may hence forth refer to me as Dark Lord Potter."

Harry faced him "My people, my family call me the general. You think you know me but you don't. None of you know me." Harry stated with conviction while pointing at different people. "The only people that know the real me are Hermione, Queen Bella and the High Guard. They are the only people who took the time and made the effort to learn I am not the boy who lived… I'm just Harry."

Harry moved forward to close the gap with Remus "I am not my father and I am not my Mother. I promise that you will do nothing that goes against your conscious." Remus looked to him for a moment and then nodded his assent. Harry turned quickly with an entourage back to the great Hall.

Harry asked Ragnok "Did you have any Death eaters that survived?"

Ragnok spoke solemnly "No, Harry all one hundred fifty did not survive the battle."

Amelia grimaced "That is not possible unless you killed defenseless men."

Harry kept walking "That is absolutely correct and I made sure none survived on my part of the battle field as well but before you get your righteous indignation up about me or the goblins committing murder, hear my story."

Harry continued walking "Do any of you know how one takes the dark mark and are you aware it cannot be forced upon anyone. It has to be taken willingly for the magic to work?

Amelia answered "I have reports that invalidate that statement. That is simple not true."

Hermione answered back "Don't tell me you have statements from the DE's captured after the first war. Only problem with your premise is that you did not use veratim serum and those death eaters were lying." Hermione then added "More to the point is I can prove it."

Amelia stopped walking "How can you prove that now? You just killed all the witnesses?"

Harry shook his head "Not all of them are dead. Lady Hogwarts has one and I have another in stasis in the dungeons. I would hope the testimony of two would be enough proof for you."

They walked into the great hall and Harry moved all of the house tables to the side with a wave of his hands. Nine more chairs were placed in front of the staff table and Harry sat down in the Head master's chair.

Harry called out "Lady Hogwarts can you bring Professor Snape to the Great Hall?" Lady Hogwarts did not answer but a very naked and crying Snape appeared tied to a chair.

Snape looked up through his tears "Are you here to gloat Potter and to watch me in my wretched misery?"

Harry looked at him "No Snape I am not. You have knowledge and I want certain people to hear it." Harry turned to Auror Shacklebolt "You can give him a dose of Veratim serum and Amelia you can do the questioning."

Amelia and Shacklebolt stood up and went to the prisoner to administer the dosage. When Amelia saw that his eyes had glazed over she began asking questions.

"What is your name?"

"Severus Tobias Snape"

"Were you ever a death eater?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever take the dark Mark?"

"Yes."

"What did you have to do to get the dark mark?"

"I had to murder a muggle family with a girl. I raped the girl as the family watched and then I killed the family while the girl watched, after I killed the girl her murder and blood was used for a ritual to create the dark mark."

Amelia looked very shocked and on the verge of being sick and took several seconds to get her bearings back before she could begin again. "Did every death eater go through this ritual?"

"The spell to create the dark mark could not be caste without a murder and the victim's blood." Snape answered.

"Can the Dark mark be done by an imperious curse or other means on a person unwilling to accept it?"

"No, the mark must be taken willingly because it is tied to the person's soul."

Amelia sat down heavily on a chair and tears ran down her eyes. Snape was given back to Lady Hogwarts and then Hermione brought in a young looking man of perhaps nineteen or twenty. She sat him down on the chair. Hermione looked over to Amelia "I have another for you to question and he will be banished to the spider colony as soon as we are done."

Amelia spoke softly "I think I have heard enough from Snape's testimony."

Hermione stood straighter "No, you need to hear his testimony and you will do it in front of all these witnesses. You definitely won't like what you hear and I hope all of you are ashamed by it."

Amelia wiped her eyes and stood up as Shacklebolt gave the dosage of serum.

"What is your name?"

"Marcus Allen Flint."

"How old are you?"

"I turned nineteen in January."

"When did you graduate Hogwarts?"

"Two Years ago."

Amelia asked the standard questions about the dark mark and Marcus Flint's answers matched Snape's. Amelia indicated she was done. Hermione stood up and then began asking her own questions.

"When did you take the dark mark?"

"One month after I graduated from Hogwarts."

"How many girls did you rape since you received your mark?"

"I raped over two hundred girls since then."

"How many are still alive?"

"None."

Hermione wiped her eyes "Why is that?"

"That is my signature, my mark, I rape them then kill them unless they are really good at satisfying me, then I would take them home to my dungeon and keep them for a week, then get rid of them later."

Amelia threw up on the floor after hearing the detailed answers that Hermione asked. Amelia had recovered and began to sip her tea with shaky hands.

Harry looked into her eyes "How brutal do I seem now, Amelia? How brutal would you have been hearing his testimony?" Harry didn't wait for any answers from her "What I did was a service to a society of pampered politicians and adults who were charged with protecting that society and failed. I executed the criminals instead of letting innocent people be slaughtered."

Amelia with her voice quavering replied "We didn't let innocent people suffer."

It was Hermione that jumped up in outrage "Really…that is your excuse? It won't wash here this time. Everyone in the ministry and Britain's society is responsible for this because the magical adults were bunch of gutless sheep. After the first war you allowed eight death eaters free reign to do whatever they wanted for fifteen years. Where do you suppose Flint learned to do what he did. How many innocent muggle families did Lucius Malfoy murder, how many from Mulciber, Avery, and Knott? It was a weekly game to those butchers." Amelia's cup crashed to the floor as she looked at Hermione in horror as she realized the truth of it.

Hermione wasn't finished by any means "Instead of using veratim serum to prove a death eaters claim was a lie, you place an innocent man in prison without trial, you tried a thirteen year old for defending himself, you allow a sadistic undersecretary to torture children for telling the truth, and make two fifteen year olds be on the run for months to stop a mad man and you want us to turn it all over to you so you can start it all over again."

Shacklebolt got out of his chair and held her shoulders to comfort her he looked at Harry "That is enough she is not responsible for this. Its more complicated than you can imagine."

Harry stood up and his eyes had fire in them as he slammed his hands down "NO ITS NOT! IT IS NOT COMPLICATED AT ALL. IT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT RIGHT IS AND WHAT IS EASY!"

Hermione stood and gave Harry a concerned look "It was the responsibility of every adult in this room to make it right and every single one of you failed. You failed because you were sheep led by corrupt politicians and an antiquated pureblood ideology and a society a hundred years out of date."

Harry sighed and sat back down "How could I just turn this back to the adults who could not do it right the first time? If you were me Amelia could you just turn everything over so it can go back to the way it was? I have spent six long years clawing and fighting to get to this point and I don't want to go through this again or have any one's child have to either."

Amelia looked at him as she wiped her eyes "I wouldn't Mr. Potter. I would want some changes. I would want something to assure that it will never happen again."

Harry called out "Can you show my memory from twenty-five years from now?" Lady Hogwarts appeared "My lord… Harry are you sure?" Harry nodded to her.

An image appeared in the air above the table. The image soon clarified and an older Harry was coming home and Hermione greeted him with a kiss as their three children came up and hugged him. The group watched the family interact and the doorbell was heard. Hermione answered it and two aurors held wands to her neck.

"Harry Potter you, your wife, and children are under arrest for doing restricted magic. In that you are a half blood, she is a muggle born, and your children are half bloods and magic was recorded being done here. In a decree, signed into law yesterday from the Ministry of Magic only pure bloods are allowed to do magic."

The group watched a mock trial occur and then Harry and his family were found guilty. They made Harry watch as his children and his wife were thrown into the veil.

"Stop the memory." Harry had tears in his eyes. Harry calmed himself for many moments before he could speak "That is my future in twenty-five years. In my grief and psychosis I will wipe out all magical and muggle life in twenty-five years. All because what I really want in life is some peace and to enjoy being with my family. The first time I killed Voldemort I thought my job was done. I thought I could fall into anonymity and just be me."

Amelia said in shock "Wait a minute you said the first time you killed Voldemort… you time traveled?" Amelia looked shocked "That is impossible and very illegal."

Hermione leaned over and got in her face "So is being accomplishes to murder and murder itself. Only one side can commit crimes in war and everybody else must play by the rules? Does that really even make sense to you?" Hermione stomped her foot in disgust "Mrs. Bones I was assured that you were a fair minded individual but your statements are making me believe your head is so far up your arse, you are just as bad as Minister Fudge."

Amelia's head snapped up "I don't think that is necessary and I am not like Fudge at all."

Harry stood next to Hermione "Then quit acting like it. You are using the same arguments the old ministry used to use on innocent people while they let people like Marcus Flint run freely. Only an idiot fights a war with love taps and hugs."

Harry turned to address everyone in the hall "I have one philosophy about war. War is very simple. First, there are no rules. Second, try to avoid it if at all possible. Third, if unavoidable then make war so terrible, so brutal, and so horrible to the opposing side that your friends and enemies never ever want to push you there again."

Hermione bent down to catch Amelia's attention "Listen well, we did in one week what the whole Ministry couldn't, nor the entire British magical community was willing to do. If you adults don't get your stuff together this time, then I guarantee you that when Harry and I comeback we will wipe away every magical on this bloody island."

Shacklebolt stood up "That is… you wouldn't… I mean men, women, and children?"

Ragnok stood up "I and my people have known Queen Bella, Harry, and Hermione for four thousand years. There use to be a village in our realm that didn't believe them either. When Harry was forced back… well the town was flattened completely, no survivors. He gives no third chances… I advise you to believe him."

Harry looked into Shacklebolt and Amelia's eyes "I hate war as much as the other person. I hate killing but what we did was necessary to save the magicals on this planet. Eventually Lord Voldemort would have breeched the statue of secrecy with the muggles and the amount of war they would bring to all magical… it's unbelievable." Harry looked deep in thought for many seconds "I want peace, I want to enjoy my marriage to Hermione and my family more than anything. This war was about protecting them. If I don't continue this then what you saw will happen in twenty-five years."

Minerva spoke first "You thought saving the society was enough but you didn't change their behaviors. The purebloods and their idealogy rose again, only they were much more slytherin about it the next time."

Hermione wiped her eyes "We didn't pay attention and they swooped in and took everything from us."

"Amelia the warrior's hardest fight is never on the battle field it is in the arena of politics. The bias that has corrupted this country for two centuries cannot go on. I was sent back by my alternate self to conquer a country and set it right. Ask Ragnok, and the other nations if being conquered by me is a bad thing.

Ragnok stood up "Everything we hold honorable and dear today is because of what Harry, Hermione, and Bella taught us after they defeated a corrupt Goblin leadership four thousand years ago. Our form of government, society, justice, and right or wrong they taught us. They called themselves conquerors but they have always acted more like friends or family, never dictators. Most of my people hold them in reverence and anything they ask of us we do."

Amelia looked up at Harry "You're telling me you conquer people to fix their society?"

Harry looked sheepishly "Yea, well they kept attacking our city and I wanted some peace. The only way to do that was to win the whole country."

Ragnok laughed "Madam Bones do not let Harry fool you because his motto is to avoid war at all cost but if war can't be avoided, then be as quick and brutal until it is done. Even the Goblins know to never get on his bad side or the price you pay is all out war the likes you have never seen."

Ragnok also chuckled "On the other hand he is always there to lend a hand to family and everyone he conquers is new family to him. We have nine nations in our realm and we have lived in peace, harmony, and mutual respect for thousands of years. The only groups we cannot get along with are the humans because they have no honor and no respect for us."

Harry shifted in his seat "I don't see why you have to embarrass me so much…I am working on it!"

Ragnok, Hermione, and Bella laughed.

Amelia sat in awe "You have nine nations that co-exist without problems and have done so for thousands of years? How?"

Bella spoke up "Madam Bones there are always conflict between different groups. It is unavoidable. What is important is that both groups feel satisfied when a conflict is resolved. If any of the parties feel cheated by the resolution or feel it was unfair, then that society breaks down quickly because any being will seek fairness and justice above all else."

Bella looked at everyone to ensure they were paying attention "What do you think is the most important thing in resolving any conflict."

Minerva spoke out "Understanding the issues."

Bella smiled "That is so true but there is a basic premise or idea that has to be met to understand the true issues."

Amelia sat up straighter "Each party has to tell the truth. Without it nothing can be resolved."

Bella grinned "Bingo!" Bella reached across the table and picked up a stack of papers and threw them across the table for all to see. The daily prophet, witches weekly, and other printed news were shown to them. "Britain is sorely lacking in truth. In fact nothing that is printed in any of this drivel is true."

Bella stood at the head of the table "In our realm, I would have every editor and every reporter publicly on trial and then beheaded for writing even a word out of context. What beings see must be the truth, it is that important."

Harry sighed "That is why tomorrow the high guard will arrest every editor and every reporter and hold public trials. Any that are found to have lied and wrote those lies will be executed."

Amelia and Minerva both gasped "You can't just kill people like that!" They shouted.

Hermione rose from her seat "You think it is morally repugnant to act this way? You think that it is wrong? Yet you allow them to continue and it leads to a conflict that kills thousands and that is ok? How stupid can you be?"

Hermione continued "These people with words alone have slaughtered thousands yet you wince at punishing them… why?"

Amelia stood up "You can't just kill people because you don't like what they say. That is not the way a good society works."

Harry looked at her "That is a sheep talking and the exact reason why this society must change. Wrong is wrong and must be punished. The truth is so important in our everyday life that without it societies become corrupt, governments learn to serve themselves instead of the people they are supposed to serve and protect. Without the truth there is no good in any society. That is why in the nation of nine the most severe punishments are reserved for those that lie. In the nation of nine it is and always will be death."

Bella frowned "It is brutal but are you proud of what Britain was yesterday?"

Hermione started next "You and Auror Shacklebolt are going to be tried next and then every ministry employee is going to be publicly tried." Amelia looked up as Hermione said this. Hermione stared back at her without batting an eyelash "The way a government is run is the next foundation that is very important for society. If someone seeks public office for personal gain, they do so for the wrong reasons. It is not tolerated. The public must trust their government."

Minerva said with a quavering voice "What happens to those who don't meet the right standards?"

Harry arched his eyebrow "I would think by now that would be obvious if they have lied, accepted bribes then it is public execution. Much depends upon the severity of their acts. For bribes not only does the official receive death but so does the person who bribed them." Harry looked at Amelia "Yes, it is brutal and yes many who have grown up to accept this behavior will die. But for those who survive the message will come across very quickly, don't do it or you will die."

Amelia looked very concerned "Harry you are very quick to kill people. It seems that you find it too acceptable. Your society and its laws seem very harsh."

Harry sighed "Yes they are and I am as brutal as required to make things right. The alternative to me is much harsher. Amelia Imagine if these concepts had been applied after the first war was over. If the government had sought the truth and that all the death eaters had been punished instead of coddled? If Fudge and his pureblood cronies had been held accountable for their actions in the last few years? What would our society be like today?"

"Tell me you didn't know that Fudge and his little gang of thieves weren't on the dole? Tell me you didn't know many officials that took bribes or those that thought it was ok to do that?"

Amelia looked down in shame "I cannot say I didn't know."

Harry looked at her with a piercing gaze "Do you think that two sixteen year old kids would have had to do what we did, go through what we suffered to kill Voldemort and more important to me is how many innocent lives magical and muggle would have been saved?"

Amelia sat in thought "I guess it is going to take me awhile to adjust to all this."

Hermione looked with sympathy "Amelia and Minerva it is usually the first year that is brutal and even I wince at some of the memories that this brings. I also know from the five nations that were the worst that in the end things will be better. People will feel more settled and happier."

**CHAPTER 22**

Bella continued with laying out the plan for everyone to include the make-up of the new government. Each nation had its own council of nine that then referred any issues to the High Council which consisted of Harry, Hermione, and Queen Bella.

Minerva and Amelia first balked at this but the werewolves and the goblins quickly quelled their concerns. Amelia was most impressed with the werewolf who was called Jaden Smith. It was his impassion words that brought her around.

Over the next month, Harry took over WWN and transmitted every detail of the editors, publishers, and reporters trials. Only ten percent of the reporters were left. Harry then purchased the equipment and building from the remaining Board of Directors of the daily prophet. He hired the remaining reporters that were left and doubled their salaries and gave them only one directive "I don't care what you print, even if it is about me, but it better be the truth, the complete truth and only the truth. If you quote someone's opinion, make sure you tell your readers the person's leanings on the issue. Make it fair and accurate."

Within two weeks the paper began printing as the Magical times. Many people expected a paper that was similar to the daily prophet. When the first article criticized the high Council for their brutal methods and execution from the trials the reporter sat nervously waiting for the hammer to fall.

Harry came to the times building and took the entire staff to lunch. He had a WWN news crew there and broadcast the lunch on the air. He called forth the reporter and publically congratulated him on a very good article.

"Listen nobody is perfect and most governmental bodies are definitely not perfect but this reporter honestly and with integrity questioned our methods for running the high council. I personally think his article was insightful and provocative. He will make people start asking questions and get them involved. The high council has agreed to allow this reporter a personal and exclusive interview with us to answer the articles concerns." Harry said with much happiness.

Once the reporters began to understand this was not the old way of doing things, they began to become much more comfortable and the articles became more sophisticated. Reporters now did more research and they investigated what they put in the articles. People began to understand how the truth was affecting their lives in a positive way.

The next challenge was the trials of Ministry officials. When Amelia and Auror Shacklebolt came before the court they plead guilty to abuse of the public trust and failure to perform their primary duty to protect the public.

Harry, Hermione, and Queen Bella smiled brightly as they heard the first two government officials brought to trial admit that the government was wrong. The prosecution then began the challenge for what punishment should be meted out. Harry listened and waited until an appropriate time to break in to the proceedings.

"Your honorable court the High council wishes to be heard on this matter and ask the court for permission to speak."

The court judges looked at each other and then the chief judge made his choice clear. "It is the mandate of this court that political influence is not allowed and that any such cohersion placed upon this court is considered high treason and very inappropriate. How does the high council answer to that in this case?"

Harry smiled "Well from a high council point of view I am glad this court will challenge even me. Sometimes I need it. From a personnel level I very much hope that my words and actions will keep me out of jail as my wife would do far more damage to me than this court ever could." This brought a round of laughs from the entire court.

Harry had stood before the bench and paused "I ask the court to pause the sentencing phase and go back to the guilt phase of this trial. It is the courts duty to get to the truth and above all to be fair. The prosecution is now going for much higher punishment for charges he did not originally bring before the court. The high council wishes to know more about the specific charges the defendants are pleading guilty to. If through questioning these charges are found true then we will leave the court to its duty."

The chief judge nodded to his compatriots "The court will withdraw the charges of treason against the high council for political interference and would ask that the high council conduct questioning of the defendants."

Hermione stepped forward and the court appointed potions master to administer the serum to Amelia first. Hermione waited for the serum to take affect and then began her questions. "What is your full name?"

"Amelia Gendolyn Bones."

"What is your position in the old and new Ministry?'

"I was the head of the DMLE for fifteen years and now I am on the council of nine until elections are held."

"You plead guilty to abuse of public trust and failure to protect the public, why these charges and not the lesser charges?"

Amelia answered "Because it is my belief that I was directly responsible for thousands of deaths during my directorship of the DMLE. I knew in my heart that some orders I obeyed were wrong but I did not stop them. Because I did not protect the public and put men in prison I knew to be not guilty but was stopped by political interference, I am guilty of abuse of the public trust and failure to protect the public."

"Why do you believe you are responsible for thousands of deaths?"

I failed to put these men in jail and I know that they did commit heinous crimes and most likely killed hundreds of people personally and directed others to murder as I let them remain free, I am guilty too."

Hermione nodded to the potions master to administer the serum to Amelia who was crying freely as she left the stand. Kingsley was brought to the stand and administered serum. His answers almost were the same as Amelia. Hermione waited until Kingsley was reseated and then just as she was about to speak the prosecutor stood up.

"Your honors I find that I can no longer bring charges against the defendants at all and I believe the best course of action is to withdraw them. After listening to their testimony it reminds me of the saying that good people will always blame themselves for the evil deeds of others. For they internalize the societies failures and except their part in the mass conspiracy. If the conspiracy is to be truly exposed, then every citizen is just as responsible as these two." The prosecutor promptly sat down.

The three Judges conferred for a moment and the chief judge asked the high council for any recommendation. Harry stood up "I believe these defendants are guilty of not a crime but of conscious. I ask the court to find them guilty and to sentence Amelia Bones to life as a High council advisor and that Auror Shacklebolt is sentenced to work with the High Guard as a senior advisor for human interests."

Shacklebolt stood up "Potter you mean to tell me this was a set up to get me to come and work for you?"

Harry grinned "Yes and no. I wanted everyone to know that there were some good people in the old government but they were so few they could not be effective." Harry lowered his head "I believe they will need it for the majority of the other officials that will come before the court and the atrocities that will be discovered."

Shacklebolt pointed at him "That was a marauder worthy prank but I am still going to kick your ass."

The chief judge smacked his gavel "All right we have come to a decision and we hold that both of the defendants are guilty and sentence them as the high council has asked." The judge smiled at Harry "However, they will be paroled from sentence as soon as they notify this court that is what they desire." The judge smacked the gravel to close the case.

The remaining cases took the next month and a half to clear. Over fifty percent of the ministry officials were found guilty of numerous violations and the worst were multiple counts of bribery. The former Wizgenmont members were the most notorious of this. They were selling and trading votes for better business transactions and gold on a regular basis. In all fifty six employees were executed but more astounding was the pureblood families and their head of houses who were found guilty of offering a bribe. The total executions were 238 individuals. Twenty-one family lines were ended because of the executions.

The council of nine, based upon recommendation from the high council began a systematic re-write of their entire laws and administrative actions. This effort would take an additional fifteen months to complete. Part of the new laws was to recognize the nine other nations council of nine and give rights and status to them while in Britain.

**CHAPTER 23**

During the next six months things settled down nicely for the three. Harry and Hermione's children began attending local muggle schools with Bella's children. Hermione had been teaching them through their early years and the five children became notorious for sticking together, being far above average intelligence and to the consternation of the administrators they would question everything.

Harry would always get a good laugh at the school administrations notes saying that on the one hand the children were testing in the top of their class but were discipline problems because they would question administrators, point out inconsistencies in how they did things and then would demand that they fix it.

The principal at the school had demanded a parent meeting when Lily barged in to the principal's office and stopped a corporeal punishment on one of her fellow classmates a boy named Thomas. When they arrived at school in leather motorcycle jackets, leather boots, and hair crumpled from a helmet they did not give the impression that Lord and Lady Potter had entered the building.

The principal was rather a swarthy looking man with pallid skin that sagged a little with his age. His most prominent feature was a beak like nose with horn rimmed glasses and a few hairs to try and cover his bald spot. His grimace from the parents that had just been guided to his office was clear evidence that he prejudged Harry and Hermione. Harry rolled his eyes and then chuckled at the principal who would soon learn not to piss off Hermione.

Eugene Smythe looked at the very young parents of not one but three of the problem children they had at his school. The three Potter children were constantly trying to undermine his and his staff's authority. They had the audacity to question the staffs methods and motives. He was going to lay the law down to these new parents so the Potter children would be much more controllable.

He stood as they entered and came around his desk to shake their hands "Mr. and Mrs. Potter, thank you for coming. I am Mr. Smythe, the headmaster for this school. I am sorry for having to call you here under these circumstances but we had a problem today that must be dealt with." He stated with a false sadness.

Harry and Hermione had both done passive legimancy on him and found his thoughts disturbing. He was not only abusing children but with certain other teachers, a Mr. James, he was abusing those that did not have a strong parental presence at the school. Hermione did not like his thoughts at all.

"As I am sure you are aware with younger children they often misbehave and problems arise. Today while Mr. James and I were going to administer punishment, your daughter Lily barged in and proceeded to dress us down and stated emphatically that we would not punish Tommy because Mr. James was lying. She went on to say that Mr. James was often unfair to Tommy for no reason."

"I am sure that you must agree that a young child should never be allowed to address adults in such a manner. It simple can't be tolerated." Mr. Smythe placed his hands on his desk as he finished.

Harry stood up and walked to the door. He stood in the doorway and called "Lily would you come in here please." Lily stood up and began to walk to him "Lily bring your friend Tommy too please."

When they entered the office Mr. Smythe began to bluster "I hardly think it wise to have a discussion about the children with the children here."

Hermione looked surprised "Why not? It is supposedly their behavior that caused the problem and they can learn of our concerns by having an honest and frank discussion. They should be involved as it is about them."

Harry then asked Lilly "So can you tell us what happened today?"

"Mr. James is our teacher and I don't think he likes Tommy very much. Usually once or twice a week Mr. James picks on Tommy until he gets enough to punish him."

Hermione looked over at Tommy and in a soft voice asked him "Is this true?"

Tommy looked down shyly and nodded his head. Hermione watched him for a second she saw a small bruise on one arm that was mostly covered by his shirt. "Tommy how often are you punished?"

Mr. Smythe "I hardly think interrogating the child is the proper method to approach all of this."

Harry looked sternly at Mr. Smythe "I suggest sir that you sit there very quietly while we do this because if you don't I am going to call child protective services. Would you like me to do that?"

Mr. Smythe looked shocked and then quickly shook his head no.

"Tommy can you answer?" she gentle asked him.

Tommy looked at Mr. Smythe and then to her and immediately liked her eyes. He trusted her eyes for some reason "They make me come here at least once a week sometimes twice."

Hermione rubbed his head "What are the punishments that they give you Tommy?"

Tommy looked into her eyes "They paddle me with the stick sometimes two or three times and it hurts."

Hermione eyes shot up to look at Mr. Smythe and he got a nasty glare from her "I want to see that stick." She stated icily. Mr. Smythe sat there like a stone.

Lily got up and walked to Mr. Smythe's file cabinet and stuck her hand behind it and grabbed a seventeen inch paddle. Mr. Smythe began to move towards her when Harry's voice cut like steel across his nerves "I wouldn't do that if I were you Mr. Smythe because I can guarantee you that you touch her and I will put you in the hospital."

Lily went around Mr. Smythe and handed the paddle to her mother she looked at it and then looked at Mr. Smythe "So you think this is an appropriate punishment for children under ten years old."

Mr. Smythe kept standing "Often children become so misbehaved that we have to take extreme measures."

Hermione stood up and walked over to him "That child has a big bruise on his arm." Hermione poked him in the chest "I wonder what else child protective services would find?"

Eugene was thinking this is not going at all like he had hoped. These people were about to expose many truths that Eugene could not have known. He moved back to his chair and sat down heavily and looked down at his planner. "I am sure that what you are thinking is not true. If that child has a bruise it happened outside of school."

Harry sat up straighter "Hermione would you have Lily show you where Mr. James classroom is and bring him here. Take Tommy with you so I can have a private chat with Mr. Smythe here."

Mr. Smythe looked uncomfortable at the glare Harry was giving him. "I don't think we need to involve Mr. James." He stated while trying to get up.

Harry got up from his chair and pointed at him "Sit down as I want to have a little discussion with you." Harry said coldly.

Lily had already grabbed Hermione's hand and Hermione held her hand out to Tommy "Come on Tommy, Lily will show me her classroom while her daddy talks to the Headmaster." Tommy tentatively took her hand and left with him.

Once the door closed, Harry waited for twenty seconds before he began "I don't know what kind of game you think you are playing here but I can assure you that this game, if it is hurting children in any way will most definitely get you killed." Harry had leaned forward and looked him in the eye. The look Mr. Smythe saw gave him chills and he suddenly believed Harry meant every word he was saying.

Harry walked around to sit on his desk right next to where Mr. Smythe was sitting. "Maybe I should explain my background. I was orphaned at one year old. My aunt and Uncle raised me and I believed my name was freak until I was five years old and started public school. I used to come to school with bruises much like Tommy's which my aunt and uncle would make excuses by saying I was a clumsy child.

Harry was staring at Eugene with malice "The school administrators, no matter what I said, did not believe me so the abuse continued and got worse because they could get away with it. My anger and distrust of adults continues to this day. I know my daughter and she values truth above all else. You are a petty weasel who is playing with the lives of children. Tommy either is being abused here or at home."

Harry backhanded Eugene across the face "I know because he exhibits all the signs of an abused child and I know because I lived it for eleven years." Harry grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer "If I find any of the abuse he has dealt with came from this school and was directed by a teacher or you…You are dead along with that teacher because you are picking on defenseless children and it's almost impossible for them to fight back. You are being bullies and I hate bullies with a passion."

Harry released his collar and then picked up the phone to set in front of Eugene "Now Eugene I just committed a battery against you so you have every right to call the police and have me arrested. Now if you don't call them it is because there is abuse going on here and you don't want police involvement and them to investigate this school. Either way Tommy is going to be cared for because I will make it my personnel mission from now on."

Harry went back and sat down in his chair and gazed at Mr. Smythe waiting for what he was going to do. Mr. Smythe was in a quandary because he wanted very badly to call the police and have Mr. Potter arrested. On the other hand he was very afraid to have the police find out that children had been abused that were under his direct care. He looked at the phone and then up into Harry's eyes. He got the distinct impression that this man in his office was not to be trifled with.

Eugene with sweat beading on his brow slowly picked up the telephone and returned it to the receiver cradle "I don't think the police will be necessary."

As Harry was about to ask a question a big burly man who looked like he worked out everyday walked into the office "What is going on Eugene? This woman said you wanted to see me."

Harry turned the chair sideways but remained seated "Well actually I wanted your involvement because we found a bruise on Tommy's arm and then we found that paddle was being used weekly on him by you."

Mr. James face turned red "I don't know what these children have been telling you but you can check his records. He has only received punishment twice this year. If it was weekly as he claims it would be ten times and the records don't show that."

Hermione placed herself between the children and this teacher "Who is allowed to mark the records?"

Mr. James sneered at her "That would be the teacher and the Head master." Hermione sarcastically replied "So what you're telling me is that he was spanked ten times, you only marked it twice and the other eight times you didn't."

Harry had been scanning Mr. James the whole time and knew for certain that is exactly what happened as internally he was gloating over it. Harry stood up and walked closer to the teacher who began to sneer "What do you think you are going to do little man."

Harry cocked his head sideways "I just want to know why a big strapping guy like your self can only beat up children? Are you afraid to face real men who could hit back?" Harry's voice dropped in tone "Because as of today beating on children is not an option for you anymore. Tommy will never ever be struck by you again." Harry's eyes flared to life "If you are such a tough guy, why don't you take a swing at me but I promise you I am not an easy target and if you are lucky I won't put you in the hospital for too long. Because I know exactly what you have done."

Mr. James looked over at Mr. Smythe "You just couldn't keep your trap shut could you. I knew you were always weak."

Hermione became stern "I think that pretty much proves our assertion about you."

Mr. James became enraged "Listen Bim…" Mr. James didn't get to finish his sentence because Harry struck hard and struck quickly. Before anyone in the room had really become aware Harry had hit Mr. James in the larynx and the solar plexus. Causing the teacher to double over and land on his knees trying to catch his breath.

Harry stood over the top of him "I will kindly remind you that woman's name is Hermione Potter, wife of Lord Harry James Potter and you will not speak to her in that manner."

Mr. Smythe sat up "You are that Potter?"

Hermione turned to him "Yes we are and we do not like people who abuse their authority." She pointed at Mr. James on the floor "This worm has no business teaching children. If you don't fire him immediately then Lord and Lady Potter will bring the full weight of their position to straighten out this matter."

Mr. Smythe shook his head and grumbled under his breath "Mr. James you are hereby relieved of your teaching duties and I expect you to clean out your desk and be gone in ten minutes."

Mr. James was still having great difficulties catching his breath and had managed to get to his feet but was still leaning over. All he could do is nod in agreement. Harry added "If I were you I wouldn't tempt me any further I was abused as a child and I would love nothing better than to see you in the hospital for a few months. Get out and don't ever come back." Mr. James bent over, walked out the door.

Hermione looked at Mr. Smythe with her hand protectively over Tommy's shoulder and he was hugging her leg "You aren't getting a way scott free from this. You will resign at the end of this term and give the school notice so they can find a replacement." Mr. Smythe sunk to his chair and nodded his head in agreement.

Harry added in "It was your duty to protect these children and you failed. I think it is pretty terrible when a seven year old girl knows better than the adults what is right and sticks up for her rights. I have nothing but high praise for my daughter doing the right thing."

Lily was beaming "Thanks Daddy… can we take Tommy to his home… talk with his parents?"

Harry looked down at her and she signaled with her eyes at Tommy indicating she thought something was wrong, maybe with his home life. Harry smiled at her and tightened his hold on her shoulders "I am so very proud of you and yes we can as it is getting late and Tommy should not walk home by himself."

When they got to Tommy's house they found that Tommy's mother was none other than Alicia Devonshire and Hermione remembered the name from the Hogwarts plaque listing all of the head girls. "You went to Hogwarts. I remember seeing your name on a plaque as the head girl ten years ago."

Alicia looked at her "You went to Hogwarts?" and then her eyes saw the man standing besides Hermione "Oh, crap you are Harry Potter!"

Harry blushed at hearing the typical fan comment but nodded indicating it was true. When Alicia looked down and saw Tommy hanging on to Hermione she said in shock "Tommy, what have you done this time?" Tommy hid behind Hermione some more.

Hermione answered "Tommy didn't do anything wrong. Could we come in and talk about our children. It seems they are in the same class." Alicia looked at her with concern but opened the door wider for them to enter.

When they entered the flat it was clean but did not have many luxuries at all. A couch and a small recliner with a TV were the only items in the front room. As Harry and Hermione were seated on the couch Lily and Tommy sat down nearby on the floor to play with some toys.

Alicia broke in "What happened at school?"

Hermione answered "We were called in because Lily today broke up a punishment that was going to be placed on Tommy. When we got there and did an investigation we found that our children's teacher, Mr. James, was an abusive git and that he was using a big paddle on Tommy once a week. That is what caused Lily to get involved and that brought us into it and we got that teacher fired and the headmaster to resign."

Alicia went to Tommy and held him "Tommy why didn't you tell me all this was going on?"

Tommy spoke quietly "Jeff told me not to he said you had enough to worry about with everything going on and you trying to work nights."

Before Alicia could say anything she grabbed Tommy by the shoulders. When she saw him wince in pain and move his right arm away she lifted his shirt to find a bruise. "What happened here Tommy?"

Tommy moved away and covered his bruise "Nothing mum, it was an accident." Alicia looked at him and before she could ask any more questions a man walked into the front room.

He looked to be a little older than Alicia but a scowl appeared on his face. Harry watched him until Tommy came to his one side and held his arm and looking at the man. Harry could see an emotion he knew all too well. "What's going on here?" the man asked gruffly.

Alicia frowned "These are friends of mine from the boarding school I went to in Scotland. This is Harry and Hermione Potter and their daughter Lily. This is my boyfriend Jeff."

Harry stood up as did Hermione. Harry reached his hand out to Jeff "It's nice to meet you." Jeff looked at his hand and then slowly shook Harry's when he finished he did not even acknowledge Hermione and hung up his coat. Alicia spoke first to break the tension "I just found a big bruise on Tommy's shoulder and I was asking him about it."

Jeff hesitated as he hung up his coat then responded "I wouldn't worry too much about it. We were play wrestling the other night and he fell off the couch." Alicia was about to respond when Harry placed his hand on her arm to stop her. She looked at Harry with many questions but Harry shook his head before she could ask them.

Harry looked into Jeff's eyes when he turned around "Does he get bruises like this often?"

Jeff did not answer so Alicia broke in "Here lately it seems he has become more accident prone."

Harry didn't flinch as he asked the next question "Did it start after Jeff moved in or after you started working nights?"

Alicia answered with trepidation "It started just after I began working nights."

Jeff responded "Just what are you implying Mister?"

"I am not implying anything I am just asking questions? Does that bother you that people are concerned about a seven year old child with suspicious bruises?"  
Jeff's eyes narrowed "What is suspicious about it?"

Harry didn't hesitate "The fact that the bruise width is almost an exact match for your hand width. That was my first clue. The second clue is that Tommy has known you a lot longer than me. I have known him for two hours but he is hiding from you behind me. I would suspect because I make him feel safer than you do."

Alicia had tears in her eyes "Why Jeff, why would you do that?"

Jeff scoffed at the question "Because the little bastard gets on my nerves. Besides he ain't my kid."

Jeff probable did even see the uppercut or the round house Harry delivered to Jeff's jaw. Jeff woke up when Hermione threw water on his face and Harry with the most vicious eyes he had ever seen was looking at him and that made him very afraid. "He is not a bastard, a freak, or anything else but a kid who wants love. If you ever call him a name again or if you touch him at all I will put you in the hospital for a few months. The second time it happens YOU DIE! IS that clear enough for you?"

Jeff looked up with wide eyes "Yes, sir." Harry moved back while Jeff tried to get up from the floor. Alicia hauled off and kicked him as hard as she could in between his legs.

Jeff fell back down and moaned in agony "You pack your stuff and get out. No one hits my son."

Jeff crawled into a room and they heard things being packed away and in ten minutes with suitcases in hand he made his way out the door "Jeff…" Harry called out "Don't make the mistake of coming back and seeking revenge, you won't like what I do to you." Jeff looked with wide eyes before nodding and leaving quickly.

Hermione stood before Alicia "I think you could use some down time for a couple of days. I know we don't know each other well but would you come to our house and stay for a couple of days?"

Alicia shook her head "I don't want to be a burden to anyone. I can manage here fine."

Harry stepped up closer to her "Actually Alicia you would be doing me a big favor because I won't sleep a wink worrying about Tommy as I made him a promise to keep him safe."

Alicia grinned at him "That was a cheap and low blow Mr. Potter, using the kid card like that."

Harry smiled "Yes, yes it was but was it effective?"

Alicia turned to Hermione and pointed at Harry "Is he always this damn charming…I don't know how to say no to that?"

Hermione laughed "Yes, and I haven't found a way to say no either…it's annoying how he uses it on me."

Alicia laughed while Harry turned to Tommy "Do you have an overnight bag to put your stuff in?" Tommy answered with a nod. "Good, then go put your things in it and no putting only toys."

Alicia had arched her eyebrow "Ok, boy wonder I haven't agreed to anything so, don't you think you ought to get my agreement first?" Harry said nothing but gave her his slanted smirk. He then grabbed her hand and pulled her to the other bedroom "While you are arguing go pack clothes for a couple of days and then we will go get dinner and you can argue the points over dinner because your son and my daughter are hungry."

Alicia before she realized what she was doing had opened her wardrobe and began removing clothes. "Hey, that is no fair….Hermione can't you do something about him?"

Hermione smiled and hugged Harry "Alicia you might as well go with the flow…he always manages to win." Hermione pulled him into a kiss and whispered "It's always been a pleasant experience for me."

Lily stood with her hand on her hip and pointing a finger at her "Not in front of the children Mummy!" she scolded.

Hermione giggled "Luv, it's not my fault I think your daddy is part veela and he gets me with his allure."

Harry smirked at her "It is my boy wonder charm, it does it every time." Hermione laughed as did Lily.

**CHAPTER - 24**

Over dinner and through the late evening Alicia told her story. Harry was amazed to find out that Alicia once worked for the department of Mystery, she had been an unspeakable but that is all she could remember. Hermione of course found this fascinating and asked Alicia if she could look into her mind to see what was happening. Alicia looked concern and unsure until Harry changed his eyes into his mage sight and found a compulsion charm on her. He casually waved his hand and removed the compulsion.

When he checked her core he saw that it was fully bound and when he went to check Tommy they found that he was the same. "Alicia, what did you say happened to you?"

She then told how she was conducting research one day and a potion exploded in a lab and combined with a rune she was working on destroyed her magical core and made her a squib. Harry turned to Hermione "Somebody has bound her core. Check her memories for modifications." Harry looked back at Alicia "Something is not right here and you are most definitely not a squib. I have mage sight and your core is one of the brightest I have ever seen. What do you remember after the accident?"

Alicia looked deep in thought "I can't remember a thing until I woke up in that apartment a few months ago and found myself as a waitress and Tommy was in school."

Hermione looked shocked "There are big gaps in her memories and blocks all over the place. They are huge and I don't understand how a healer…any healer could miss this unless they were in on it."

Alicia sat up "Can it be fixed?" Harry grinned I think so but we have to call in the psycho!

Alicia looked confused "Huh"

Bella flashed into the room "Did someone call for me?" Bella looked around "Did you finally wear the wife out and call me in for back up?"

Hermione laughed "Never going to happen you witch so, keep your paws off my man."

Harry went and hugged Bella "Sorry to call on you but we have a problem and we need your help. Harry turned to Alicia "Bella this is Alicia Devonshire, Alicia this is Queen Bella of the High Guard."

Bella stepped forward and offered her hand "It is nice to meet you."

Alicia took the offered hand "It is an honor to meet you but I must have been out of it for a long time because I don't remember who the high Guard are?"

Bella smiled "Not many do since we just introduced ourselves to Humans in the last month. We are one of the oldest magical races on the planet."

Hermione joined in the conversation "Bella we just found a magical block on Alicia and her son Tommy and we also found memory gaps and blocks. All we know is that she used to be an unspeakable and worked in the department of mystery."

Bella looked thoughtful for many seconds "May I look in your mind?" Alicia nodded her consent. Bella then asked Harry "Did you find the block with your mage sight?"

"Yes." answered Harry.

Bella looked into Alicia's eyes and was very shocked to see such a haphazard patch of gaps and blocks. She came out and looked very concerned "To be blunt this looks very amateurish but the blocks are very sophisticated. It doesn't make sense. "Do you have any idea who did this to you?" Alicia shook her head no.

Bella reached into a pocket on her dress "I am going to call for help on this as the haphazard way it was done may be a trap. Harry I think unblocking her core is the first step and I don't see a tie to it and her Memory blocks so do that now." She lifted a mirror and called Ragnok. He answered and she quickly asked for a curse and ward breaker team.

Harry had Alicia lay down on the couch "Are you sure about this?" Alicia nodded yes but then jumped up and wrote a note before lying down and handing it to Hermione.

"Just in case please take care of Tommy for me." Alicia said.

Harry switched to his mage sight and began the process of removing the block on her core. After ten minutes Harry spoke to Hermione "Please shield the room because the last strand is about to come off and their maybe some back lash." Hermione complied and then Harry slowly started the removal of the last strand. When he had 30% off her core pushed the rest off and a flash of magic hit Hermione's shield.

Alicia breathing took a slow exhale and then she opened her eyes "That son of a bitch Jeff. He met me as a waitress and he is a wizard. The unsophisticated gaps are his doing. The rest I bet are from someone in the unspeakables."

Hermione checked again "Your right Alicia the gaps in your memory are all filled in and all I see are the blocks."

Alicia looked mad "Some of them are blocks created by my oath but the only way they can be activated is if a senior manager did it. We only had four people that could do that."

Harry looked thoughtful "Which means one of those four basically turned you into a squib and placed you on the street, but why? Why not just kill you and be done with it?"

Ragnok arrived with three other goblins and bowed to the queen "Thank you for requesting the goblins in your time of need.

Bella smiled "Get up and give me a hug."

Ragnok laughed "I always enjoy embarrassing you."

"Yes, you scoundrel I know. Now quit being lazy and fix this poor girl. Someone has tampered with her magic and memory. We just unblocked her core and need help with her memory blocks."

Harry turned to him "She was an unspeakable and took oaths."

Ragnok laughed "Oh, those. The humans think they are so clever with their unbreakable oaths. They don't know shit. An oath can be broken but a vow, a vow cannot be."

Hermione asked "So you can break the blocks?"

The three goblins began casting a series of spells to determine the exact nature of the blocks. Once they completed their assessment they began a slow process of unlayering the blocks. After an hour and twenty minutes they all sat down very tired. Alicia had fallen asleep.

Ragnok's team, after drinking several potions got up and left. Before departing "She will require a headache potion when she awakens and I would imagine she will be very mad. There was much strife in what was blocked from her."

Harry, Hermione, and Bella were in the kitchen when they heard Alicia awaken and began cursing at everything she could find. They ran into the sitting room to find a very animated Alicia fit to be tied. She came to a complete stop and then sat down and began to cry.

Harry knelt in front of her and held her hands. Hermione sat beside her and held her by the shoulders. Alicia let it all out and for twenty minutes they supported her. Bella brought in some tea and set it down. Alicia took some tentative steps before she began talking. She looked directly at Harry "Can you unbound Tommy's magic?"

Harry answered "Yes but I wanted to wait until you had all the facts before I unbound it."

Alicia smiled at him and then turned to Hermione "You can kick my ass later and I will let you." She then pulled Harry into a fierce hug and kissed him directly on the lips. Harry was let loose after many seconds.

Harry sputtered "What was that for?"

Alicia grinned and then held his face "First, for caring. Second, for caring enough about a strangers son to protect him at school, third, for caring enough about my son to bring him home and then saving my ass, and last because now I have bragging rights that I snogged the great Harry Potter. If I sell the story I could be a very rich witch.

Harry rolled his eyes and smiled "I didn't do it all on my own. These two and Ragnok had a hand in it."

Alicia leaned back "I need some help with the department of mysteries. The whole frackin department needs to be taken down. It is as corrupt as the rest of the ministry only it has anonymity to hide behind."

Alicia sighed "My boss Alexander Gromander is the one that got me kicked out of the unspeakable because I got pregnant and he is Tommy's father. I kept breaking the memory blocks every year or two. I have been out here in the muggle worlds for many years. They finally got tired of redoing everything so they blocked my magic. I was muggle born and he had a pureblood wife without a child and it was unacceptable for the first born to be a bastard child. It would ruin his reputation. Alicia laid her head back "I was so young naïve and stupid. I completely fell for all his bullshit. When I threatened to tell he wiped my memories and placed me and Tommy in the muggle world."

Harry sat on the chair opposite them "How could they do that and get away with it? A whole department and nobody said a word?"

Alicia grimaced "I am not the only one they have done this to. I think it is their modus operandi when the department or its directors are threatened."

Hermione asked "How many people are we talking about?"

Alicia grinned "One hundred and forty-nine people work for the department of mysteries and I know all of them. Since you removed the oath and other blocks I can now talk about anything I learned while I worked five years there."

Hermione, Harry, and Bella looked at her before Bella spoke out "The Department of Mysteries is the most secret organization at the ministry. It is said that nobody in knows everyone who works in it."

Alicia smiled "Well that is what they want everyone to think but there is actually only one who knows it all and that was the Director of administration, Alex Gromander." Alicia let that sink in before she started in again "Because I was muggleborn and powerful the unspeakable hired me but kept me down by making me a secretary. Trouble was I was the smartest and most driven secretary they had ever had. Within a year, Alexander was so lazy that I began doing all of his inter departmental memos, running his meetings, and directing operations. After the second year Alexander came to me to find out what was going on. The rest of the director's came to me to get what they needed.

Hermione huffed "Typical pureblood laziness and idiocy."

Alicia smiled "Yes, Yes it is but this time I am going to make it bite them in the ass and I am going to use my knowledge to bring every one of them down."

Harry smiled at her "I have no problem with that and you are now talking to the High Guard High council and I will pledge all our resources to helping you."

Alicia looked puzzled "Who is the High Guard High council."

Hermione grinned "We three killed Voldemort and then made the Magical Ministry of Britain surrender to us. We have spent the last few months doing trials and cleaning up the mess that was once called the ministry…it no longer exists."

Bella chimed in "We now have a council of nine that direct the activities of the new ministry and we advise the council of nine, we basically run magical Britain."

Alicia looked at her hands "I think it is not a coincidence that one of two people, who knew the department of Mysteries so well, in all of Britain, fell into the High council's laps."

Harry began to laugh "I think your explanation is pretty much par for my whole entire life. That is why I am not shocked by this at all."

Alicia grinned "Led an exciting life did we?"

Hermione pointed at him "That man is a trouble magnet. I truly don't know how he does it. I only hang around out of curiosity." She said with a laugh.

Bella scoffed at this remark "I don't think so bookworm. You are here because you love him and it is a rush just being around the man. You are addicted to Harry Potter and you know it." Hermione did not respond but merely blushed, which caused another round of laughter.

**CHAPTER – 25 - Mysterious takedown**

Alicia, Hermione, and Harry spent the next week learning all about the operations and the people who made up the Department of Mysteries. Hermione was surprised at the lack of supervision of the whole department. They had no oversight at all. They did whatever the Directors thought was necessary. The Minister of Magic only made requests of them and they could help or decline as they saw fit.

Harry asked the question about how they received financing that took Alicia two days to answer. The more Hermione knew, the more she realized this entire organization was serving their own self interests and because the four directors were purebloods, it was invariable to keep the pureblood interests served best.

Within five days they had enough understanding that Harry developed a plan to take them down. The one thing that he demanded is that the four directors would be captured and taken to trial. Alicia was adamant that the general department didn't have the whole picture and could not be directed without those four in the director's chair.

At any one time there were only about fifty-five people in the department working and that most were working during the day. The fifty-five were made up of admin and researchers and would not be difficult to take down. Hermione felt that if they could find a way they should try to activate the unspeakables in small groups.

Alicia informed them that there was a system to call in teams to their ready rooms but unless they had a means to stun them immediately they ran the risk of high casualties. Harry began to smile "I know the perfect way to do this and it won't even be a problem."

Hermione grinned "Ok, I am listening Wonder boy."

"It's simple really." He started "Hermione you do an anti apparition and anti port key rune so they can't escape and a magical dampening field. We have the ready room saturated with a very quick acting sleeping gas. Once they apparated in they will have very little time to react and no magic available to counter the sleeping gas.

Hermione smiled "I do believe that is an absolutely brilliant plan."

Alicia asked "What do we do with them after they are captured?"

Harry looked at both of them "My vote is to take them to the veil room and question them. If they have not committed any big crimes then the courts will handle it. If they have, then throw them through the veil."

Hermione arched her eyebrow "I hate to say it but your plan has merit."

Alicia looked at them in shock "You can't just execute people without a trial."

Harry looked at her "Alicia we only deal in the truth and if they admit to crimes with witnesses, that is enough under the new law to punish them."

"But you can't just kill them like that." she exclaimed.

Hermione got her attention "If a director can order someone to dump one of their own in the muggle world and bind their magic, what wouldn't they do?"

Alicia listened and although she was adamantly against executions she had to agree that they were accountable to no one for far too long and most likely had committed many crimes.

Harry brought the high guard in early Monday morning and had them positioned throughout the Ministry. If anyone had noticed they would have realized that the High Guard presence was triple the size of normal.

Harry had snuck in on Sunday using his invisibility cloak and using the passwords that Alicia provided was able to scout out the entire department room by room. In the research areas he had enchanted select objects to place the employees into a deep sleep that required a parselmouth spell to undo. He put a heavy compulsion spell on it so that any employee that came within ten feet of it would have to touch it.

In the four Director's offices Harry placed the same parselmouth spell on their chairs. He then went about doing the same thing to other items within the offices. If everything worked like it should, then no director would be able to give orders or warn anybody else.

Harry had remained during the afternoon and then into the evening. He finally placed wards to alert him to anyone entering the area and transfigured a cot to sleep. The wards did not go off during the night and his alarm woke him up at 6:00 am. Harry had 21 minutes before the first Department of Mysteries employee would show up. He went to each of the unspeakable team ready rooms and activated the runes he had placed yesterday. He then did the same for the director's offices. He then went to the revolving room and waited for everyone to start their work day.

At 6:21 the first employee entered and they made their way to the research room door. Over the next hour he watched forty people enter the various doors. He had not seen one director enter as of yet. When he got to fifty people he waited five minutes and then began entering the various areas. Alicia and Hermione had joined him and they found one employee in the break room who was still conscious. They fixed that quickly much to the employee's surprise.

The High guard took each prisoner and moved them to a very restrictive magical holding cell. Eight more employees entered while they were cleaning up. They had to stun two employees' who caught them roaming the areas. By 8:21 they had fifty-eight department members in the cell. Alicia moved to the main administrative office and flipped a panel down.

She pre-recorded a message, formatted correctly and then began calling teams 1 through 20 one at a time into an emergency meeting that required they enter the department by apparating into their ready room to await further instructions. Alicia had made the emergency such that only a director could enter or advise them on the mission.

Teams one through eight complied as ordered but team nine, an older team, had apparently not trusted the Director's and had sent one member ahead before the other three entered. With no code returned the other three did not enter. The only other team that did not respond was team sixteen. It was later found out that team sixteen was actually the Director's themselves with glamours.

The director's were sent individual messages by Alicia acting as another director. The emergency code she gave was the same as all out breach was in process. Within forty-five minutes all directors were found in an enchanted sleep in their office chairs.

Harry, Hermione, and Alicia made their way to the holding cell and began to awaken them in the veil room and give them the truth serum. Disoriented, each employee was given the serum before they actually understood what had happened. Not one researcher or administrative person committed crimes, nor had any knowledge of others committing crimes. It had taken until lunch to get through these 69 employees. They were released, given the week off, and told to report to the ministry on Monday.

The teams went through the same process and what they found was astounding. A dicta quill was taking notes as the team members admitted they had done many heinous acts. Harry was kept busy the entire afternoon banishing unspeakables into the veil. Team nine was an exception to the rule and after questioning the only team member available, they decided to discuss with the team nine members before making any decisions.

The Directors, when questioned were the worst of the whole department. Three of the four were sleeper death eaters and the fourth was neutral but took no action because he agreed with the death eater philosophy. Alexander Gromander was saved for last and Alicia is the one that did most of the questioning. When she finished, she stripped him naked and bound him leaving him inches from the veil of death. When she enervated him she gave him a smile. Alex immediately tried to re establish her love for him and the fact that they had a child together. Alicia was happily pretending to accept his lies as the truth.

"Oh Alex I have waited so long to hear you say that. Will you name my son as your heir?" Alicia asked him.

Alex was caught and hesitated which was enough for both of them to realize all that his talk was a ruse.

Alicia smiled sweetly "As regent of the Devonshire house I publically call blood feud with house Gromander for the crime of binding my son's magic, binding my magic, and unlawful exiling us from the magical world."

Alex Gromander smiled "Won't work Alicia, you can't steal a house birth right that way."

Alicia smiled as she looked to the right of him at Harry "Mr. Gromander if you're thinking about the pureblood law that states she must have witnesses, you are wrong we have witnessed her call of blood feud."

"P-P-Potter… you're here?" Alex said with hesitation.

Harry came to stand besides Alicia "Oh, I am here and today we have been the instrument of the complete dismantling of the Department of Mysteries. Alicia was the key to it all. She was one of two people that had the complete knowledge of this organization."

Hermione came from around the other side "I find it extremely funny that in all your blood purist bullshit, that your need for muggle born organizational skills and your laziness, was your undoing. You gave her the knowledge to that which you claim to be superior to and she ruined all of your plans."

Harry smiled "I, Lord Harry James Potter, of the ancient and noble house of Potter, do claim that I acknowledge the blood feud of house Devonshire with House Gromander, so mote it be."

Alex became enraged "No, Potter you son of a bitch you can't do this. She is stealing my house. You can't allow this."

Alex calmed down a little "The only way to complete this and claim my house by conquest is by dueling me." Alex smiled "You have to release me and give me a weapon to defend myself."

Hermione laughed "You purebloods really are stupid aren't you? Have you ever read the rules for Blood Feud?"

"Don't be silly." Alex answered "I have been taught them from an early age. I know them as well as anyone. You have to give me the chance to defend myself."

Hermione grinned "That is correct, Mr. Gromander, the rules explicitly state that Alicia has to give you the same defense she was given by you." Alicia walked up to within inches of him and his frightened eyes.

Alicia patted his cheeks "Alex baby do you remember what team eleven required before they would obliviate me, bind my magic, and abandon me in the muggle world?"

Alex searched frantically as Alicia held up a pen for him "That my dear Alex is the defense you gave me. You wrote your orders out on parchment and signed the document. That is the entire defense you gave me but unlike you I am able to stand in your face and do this…" Alicia took the pen and stabbed him in the jugular vein. Alex struggled, gurgled, and began to bleed out the life within him.

Alicia looked at him "Goodbye you son of a bitch. Your son Thomas will carry on the Gromander house, a secondary house to the muggle Devonshire house. Alicia began laughing as she released the hold and kicked him into the veil just before the light in his eyes winked out. Alex's last thought was he had completely underestimated a muggle, an inferior human… but she was not inferior, he was and then his world went completely black.

**CHAPTER 26**

On the following Friday Harry brought Alicia in for questioning by the council of nine about the complete destruction of the Department of Mysteries. She answered all questions and used both dicta quill notes, and other evidence to prove her claim. Once she was done she was asked to remain as team nine was called. They all were given truth serum.

They told of their suspicion of Director Rockwood of being a death eater working directly for Lord Voldemort. Because of the questions they began asking in the department, they were under suspicion from Rockwood and had been marked for elimination. They instituted security procedures within the team to avoid the hit squad and in fact had stopped four attempts and killed all four squads of hit teams sent after them.

They further elaborated upon their work for the Department and were found not guilty of any crimes. The team was given the antidote and asked to sit with Alicia until the council of nine made their decision. Within fifteen minutes the council of nine decided the following.

Alicia Devonshire we hereby make you the New Managing director of the Auror research department. We further charge Team nine as the first personnel assigned to you. Your mandate is to seek out any knowledge about magic that has never been encountered and ensure that the Aurors are apprised of the dangers and any magic to counter it.

"Miss Devonshire do you accept this position?" The council asked.

Alicia looked thoughtful and then leaned over to team nine and saw them smiling at her. The team lead spoke up "Miss Devonshire it was you who brought the old department to justice and led to the end of a great atrocity. None of us was in a position or had the knowledge to do this. We defer to your leadership." He stated to her. "However, you seem to like a challenge so I offer you this. Team nine promise to challenge you and make you a better leader in all that you do." He said with a smirk.

Alicia laughed "There you have it. I accept under the terms that the team nine leader lay out and I further add that I will only accept if the leader of team nine is made assistant director so he can keep me in line better."

The entire council chuckled upon hearing this. The council spokesperson stood up after receiving nods from the other council members "So mote it be and we find the manner of this start to be most provocative and look to see great things from this department in the future."

Alicia stood up and talked with her new team and they agreed to a meeting tomorrow at 9:00 AM. Alicia then walked over to Harry and Hermione and gave them a hug "I could never have imagined this three weeks ago." Alicia looked at Harry and Hermione and said with a smile "I blame all of this on the Potters and unless you want a blood feud called in the near future, my house, will demand that we see a lot more of the Potters, all of the Potters is that clear?"

Hermione piped in "Luv, I suggest we obey her as we have no known defenses to love and kindness. She could literal wipe our house out with this new most devious offensive weapon." Hermione said with a smirk.

Harry looked at both of them with a discerning eye "Why do I get the distinct impression that I have been thoroughly set up here." Alicia and Hermione gave him back very innocent looks as Harry sighed "I have learned through many battles that there are some battles that are unwinnable and I believe that this is one of them. So I must concede defeat to your points Director Devonshire."

Alicia placed a hand on her hips "All right Hermione I got first dibs on him. He has Brains, he is totally handsome, and I have seen pictures of him in quidditch pants! If you ever tire of him send him my way."

Hermione chuckled as she grabbed his waist possessively "Mine, he is all mine and I will not give him up." Hermione gave a little smile as she drug him away "Hey, Devonshire there is one thing better than Harry in quidditch pants?"

Alicia grinned "What would that be?"

Hermione began to laugh as she answered "That is seeing him completely out of them." Hermione gave her a saucy wink.

"That's no fair! Hermione I hate you for that. I will never get to sleep tonight with that image in my head." Alicia said with a smile and then muttered under her breath "I need to get laid."

Alicia looked up and noticed all of her new employees standing right in front of her. She blushed "Tell me you didn't hear that?"

A brown haired fairly nice looking guy stepped forward "Hear what? I am Shaun by the way…" He got a big smile and then added "I am a male gigolo, in case you are interested." As he held out his hand and this made Alicia really blush and her team started laughing.

The most senior guy grinned "From my experience it is not good for the boss to be too tense so whatever makes you relax is good by me. You might want to take Shaun up on his offer. I guarantee it will not affect how this team deals with you." He had a smile in his eyes but a serious resolve was there as well.

Alicia smirked "Ok, stud muffin pick me up at six o'clock tonight." She pointed a finger at him "You better be ready because I have three weeks of frustration and tension built up." She softened her look "That was a request and not an order, in fact, at 5:59 PM, you're the boss and I will defer to your guidance."

Shaun placed his hands on his hips and grinned "Then may I advise that you not piss me off today because after six…" Shaun smacked her ass hard "Your ass is mine recruit."

Alicia mouth flopped open and she looked the team leader "Challenge?" The team leader smiled and nodded an affirmative. Alicia smiled and pulled out her wand "What is his last name?"

The team lead smiled "It's Miles, ma'am."

Alicia grinned "I want you to take your team and go to the records room and find anyone that was exiled from the magical world. I want that injustice fixed first it's the highest priority." The leader saluted and took off with the rest of the team.

Alicia then sent a hex at Shaun that had him rubbing his ass "Let me explain something to you Mr. Miles, you may own my ass after six but I own your ass until six and then I own your ass at work tomorrow." Miles went for his wand and Alicia hit him with a numbing petrification hex on his hand so his wand fell on the floor as his finger couldn't grasp it. "Do we understand each other?"

Shaun smiled "Yes, ma'am we do. Can you teach me that hex you just did? That was very effective."

**CHAPTER 27**

Harry and Hermione arrived home to find Winky supervising the children doing home work. "Hi Winky are they behaving?"

Winky grinned "They are very good kids and they listen well."

Harry smiled "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Winky would like to buy some English books for herself and then get some more math books for the kids." The small elf told him.

Harry nodded his head "Please check our library first and then you may buy whatever you need at Diagon alley on my account."

"Thank you sir" Winky replied.

Hermione stepped into the room "Harry and I will be in a conference for a couple of hours."

Lily smiled "Mummy I do know what that means. I am not a little child you know."

Hermione smiled "No, of course not dear I would never think that of you."

Lily stood up "Mrs. Winky I think we should practice our privacy and silencing charms this afternoon because Mummy and Daddy quite often forget and it is very disturbing to hear animals in the house."

Hermione and Harry's mouths fell open in disbelieve and then they both blushed "Sorry dear we will be more careful in the future." Hermione replied. They hurriedly walked out of the room and upstairs.

The summer ended quickly and the first two Potter children entered a new Hogwarts as Humans, Goblins, Centaurs, Werewolf, and Vampire children all entered the hall for the first time. Of course many of the new policies were making waves outside of Britain. The council of nine had ratified new laws to take effect and made it illegal to discriminate against any race or being. The Ministry was being filled with all the races to get it functioning again.

What was the final straw for many purebloods that still remained was when werewolves were hired as Aurors; a muggle was hired to teach muggle studies and species interactions. He had been a professor at Oxford University for twenty years teaching biology. Another muggle professor had been hired to teach arithamancy, as he was an expert on base seven math.

Ten families filed a complaint with the council of nine. The council of nine having reviewed the complaint held a public hearing on the matter. It was at the hearing that both professors proved, without a doubt, their credentials against the expert brought by the ten families. Both were able to solve a problem the families experts believe unsolvable and snuck in. The families claimed their answer was false and were only quieted when Hermione reviewed the problem and then used the answer to create a new spell shield on the spot.

Hermione had the others cast curses at it to test its strength. When one of the families cast an imperious at her only to have it dissipate, their arguments died a quick death.

They withdrew the complaint and went home never to complain again.

The council received a summons from the ICW that the high council come before the ICW main body to answer charges of ignoring the statute of secrecy, ignoring international laws on controlling dark creatures, and providing aid to dark creatures.

Harry looked over to the council members and laughed "I supposed I knew this was coming." Although generally Magical Britain was the most antiquated, the rest of Europe was no more than fifty years ahead of them. They certainly were not as progressive as North America or Australia."

Hermione looked over to the council "Do any of the members here have contacts in America?"

Amelia Bones Stood up "I have made some in their DMLE equivalent." She stated.

Hermione nodded "Would you be willing to represent us and to make more friends across the pond?"

Amelia smiled "Certainly but I think that a face to face would be better."

Bella smiled "I agree and I will send Ragnok with you." Amelia nodded.

Harry stood up "It is obvious to me that the ICW wants to send a message to its member nations and to those that move towards a more progressive agenda. As far as I am concerned the ICW has lost its way and is similar to the way our Ministry was over a year ago. It is a vessel used by those in control to maintain that control and I don't like it that way."

Everyone in the room laughed as a senior member of the council spoke up "Is it safe to say that in six months what is left of the ICW will have wished they never heard the name Harry Potter?"

Hermione and Bella laughed before Hermione stated "Six months? I think my beloved can have them on their knees in less than ninety."

Bella winked at her "My money is counting on it being under one hundred and twenty days."

Harry stood up taller "I, of course, have my own timetable but I assure you that it will get done."

Harry, Hermione, and Bella arrived on the Greek island of Porthos and the seat of the International Confederation of Wizards. The three went to the hotel they had reserved and Harry turned on his mage sight and found no less than twelve listening and recording devices. Hermione took a muggle electronic wand and found five more muggle devices. They turned a tape recorder on of Animal sex noises from around the world and began conversing with their mind talent after casting silencing charms on each other's ears.

Hermione said in a tense voice _"We have some serious muggle and wizard eyes on us._"

Harry was not responding but was looking out the window smiling and seemed to be carefree about being here. Hermione turned him around "_Mr. Potter what are you up to."_

Harry almost laughed_ "You know for being the smartest people I have ever met you are going to kick yourself for not coming up with this yourself and after tomorrow you are never going to call me Caveman again because tomorrow all of our problems will be gone."_

Bella looked at him with a look of wonder_ "Harry what are you going to do?"_

Harry smiled enigmatically at her and asked_ "What are the odds that I can make the ICW disappear in less than ten days?"_

Hermione answered_ "One to impossible!"_

Harry shrugged_ "I am willing to bet you that you are wrong. Are you game… Mrs. Book worm?"_

Hermione stepped back _"Your bullshitting me! There is no way, it is not possible to do it that quickly." _Hermione stated emphatically.

Harry looked at her "_If you are so sure of this Bookworm , then you and Psycho should have no problems betting me… oh I don't know….let's see….ah, I have it. You will both do whatever I want for one month as your master and you can never use the term Caveman again."_

Bella put her hands on her hips "_What do we get in turn?_"

Harry smirked "Two months of your cave boy slave at your service.

"_Less than ten days?"_ Hermione asked

"_Heck if I am not done in nine I will consider it that you have won."_ Harry added for good measure.

Bella laughed _"Hermione he is bullshitting us. He is laying it on so thick so we second guess ourselves. He is bluffing. He just wants us to back down first_."

Hermione and Bella said almost immediately agreed to the terms _"Fine we will take that bet and at the end of the ninth day you will belong to us Cave boy!"_

Harry looked nervous suddenly and replied in a meek voice _"Uh, what exactly would you have me do?"_

Hermione smiled and walked around him like she was inspecting a piece of _beef "Well for one since you were so arrogant about all this I am allowing Bella to do anything she wants with you to include you becoming her boy toy!"_

Harry gulped "_Are you sure about this Hermione."_ Harry gave her a very sorrowful look.

"_Harry James Potter don't even think about trying to talk me out of this. Bella can do whatever she wants for the two months."_

Bella piped in _"Can we do things with him together?"_

Hermione smiled _"Yes, of course."_

Harry suddenly stood up straighter _"Well, in my book what is good for the goose is good for the gander and I can assume that, should I win that any restrictions on you are void._"

Hermione turned quickly "_Uh, Harry_…"

Harry gave his evil grin "_Bookworm, you will do anything I ask as will your co-conspirator. I gave you a chance to play nice and I am only taking it where you decided."_

Hermione and Bella said at the same time _"Oh, shit…he just pranked us."_

Harry laughed _"Well as soon as I complete my prank then Remus has determined that I would be the official leader of the marauders as no one would be able to top this prank...ever."_

Hermione and Bella looked at each other and mouthed _"Oh, shit."_

Harry turned and went to the balcony_ "Come Slaves I shall need witnesses to my magnificence."_

The three apparated to the center of the Island and was on one of the largest hills and very close to the upper limits of the wards. Hermione asked him "Why are we here?"

Harry responded while he was working "This is the closest place to the upper ward line." Hermione stood back as he incanted a very old spell with some twists to it that neither had ever seen before. It was ten minutes later that Harry finished and a very large flash of magic occurred around them.

Bella and Hermione's thoughts became fuzzy and they wandered in circles until their minds had cleared. Hermione asked "Luv what are we doing out here? Shouldn't we be getting ready for…. something."

Bella looked confused we are here for some reason. It's something very important. What was it?"

Hermione looked at Harry who was laughing very hard "Harry what is so funny?"

Harry handed her a slip of paper and she read it "The ICW is located on the island of Pathos in Greece."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes and then looked at the slip of Paper "You...this…fidelus… that can't be… this is not…"

Harry was still laughing at her "It's not possible?" Harry took the paper from her and turned to Bella "Why don't you try to ask her about it?"

Hermione looked at him still stunned and then gathered her wits before walking over to Bella "Do you remember anything about…." Hermione's voice could not formally form the letters ICW. Shook it off and tried again "There is an international organization."

Bella responded "Yes, there are many of them. Which one are you talking about?"

Hermione tried "the … I cannot talk about this with you until you know the secret." Hermione gave a deep sigh "Harry, you won."

Harry smiled "That would be master you won."

Hermione gave a slight smirk "Master, you have defeated us and your lowly slave realizes she is not half as smart as she thought she was."

Harry patted her head "Yes, my young paduwon but there is still hope for you as you realize who your true master is." Harry continued onto Bella and handed her the slip of paper. She read it and then stood up straight and looked from Harry to the paper and then back several times and then she promptly fell back and began to laugh hysterically.

Harry set down on a rock and smiled to himself. Hermione sat beside him and was very unsure. To be quite truthful she felt very unconfident. Harry carefully and slowly picked her hand up and gave it a very tender kiss as he looked into her eyes. "Hermione, you did not fail me or anybody else. It is definitely ok for others to come up with the solution without you."

Hermione picked at a rock "But everyone expects me to do that. When I don't they look at me funny."

Harry picked her head up "Hermione I don't care what anybody else thinks about you. What I do care about is how you feel about yourself. We are emotionally damaged people Hermione and I have seen all of your fears ever since we bonded eight years ago." Hermione gasped at the realization of what he had just said.

Hermione looked into his eyes as he continued "You have never ever disappointed me. In fact you have amazed me because despite your fears, you have done some amazing things in spite of them. For you doing some things in spite of your fears is more of a challenge than I have had." Harry chuckled "I may look brave but I usually don't think before I go do."

Harry slide closer to her "Hermione you are truly far braver than me because you think before you do and you have plunged in when you believed there was no chance you would succeed but you did it anyway. I realized if I thought like you I could not have done it at all. I am not that brave. Hermione you have awed me for years."

Harry wiped his eyes "You have made me a better person because I have tried to be as brave as you and as smart as you." Hermione looked at him and realized that he truly meant every word that he said. Something inside of Hermione healed that day. The realization that the man who inspired her the most was in fact inspired by her and her own self worth became so much more.

Harry kissed her lips "My worth, my emotional problems, you have healed because as I watched you and all that you went through I learned about myself. I learned that I can't shut myself off because you need me to support your emotions, to support you and by doing this I help myself. No man or woman is an island."

Hermione smiled at him and her eyes truly understood that his heart was opened to her. She held his face in her hands "Thank you Harry. I am so lucky that I didn't lose you. I will never regret coming on this journey with you. I love you more than you can possible imagine."

Harry and Hermione shared a tender kiss for many minutes until a voice beside them cleared her throat. When they looked up Bella had tears streaming down her face "That was very beautiful and I shall remember it always." Bella looked at Harry with longing. Hermione saw the look and turned her head side ways to study the woman before her.

Hermione was in thinking mode "Harry, if you have a bond with me that gave you the ability to feel my deeper emotions and thoughts, do you have the same with Bella?"

Harry looked at her and without hesitation answered "Yes and I always have." Harry sighed "At first I chose to close that part of myself off from her. I didn't trust her at the time."

Harry stood up "Over time she kept feeding me her emotions and thoughts and I felt the change." Harry looked at Hermione "Bella came with me on my second exploration trip and we had a long talk. I have always felt the pull from her and I chose not to act or acknowledge it until you were ok."

Hermione stood up she walked to Bella and held her hands "When we bonded, all three of us soul bonded, didn't we." She asked.

Bella whispered "Yes."

Hermione leaned forward and laid her head on Bella shoulders "I have made your life hell because you needed our husband and he would do nothing to hurt me."

Hermione was looking at Harry and her smile faded "Harry open the bond up completely. I know you're the key. I want to feel both of you like you feel me."

Harry smiled at her and closed his eyes and Hermione was soon feeling Bella thoughts flood into her mind. Before she knew what she was doing she began to kiss Bella and tears were streaming down her eyes "I am so sorry. I didn't know." She apologized over and over.

Bella finally held her head firmly with her hands and stopped her "There is nothing to be sorry for. I knew through Harry that you needed to heal and because of Harry I understood the depth of your feelings for him. "

Hermione looked at her and her face looked surprised "You waited 4,000 years for us to get here." Hermione spun around to look at Harry "You made her wait all this time, why?"

Harry didn't answer but looked at Bella and she answered "He didn't make me wait, I made me wait. It was my path to redemption." Bella sat beside Harry and held his hand. She carefully looked at it and then closed her eyes and held it to her face. Her breath became quick at his touch. She opened her eyes and then looked deeply into his eyes.

She kept looking at him and then answered Hermione "It took many years for me to understand what love truly is and I could not be where I am today without it." Bella turned to Hermione "I have been brought back from insanity and know it and I truly love you and Harry."

Bella continued "When Veldane died I was lost for a few years because I truly loved him. He will always have a small piece of my heart. Hermione you needed something from Harry to help you and my needs were not as important at the time. I hoped that eventually that your healing would be complete and then I could be with you as I wanted."

Bella closed her eyes and felt the bond before turning with surprised eyes to look at Harry "You did it. Both of you have healed yourself." Bella turned to Hermione "I want us to start over as true partners in everything… Hermione you must agree to this before we can move forward. May I join with you and sharing Harry?"

Hermione kissed Harry, then Bella and then gave both of them a very sly smile "Our master Bella. We will have to share him as our master for the next 30 days anyway."

Harry stood up and smiled at both of them before held his hands out to them "Come on we have four thousand years to make up for." They reached his hands and held on to him. Harry with a slight chuckle stated "I hope you ladies didn't forget about our bet because for the next thirty days…your asses belong to me." He stated.

Harry snapped his finger and their clothes disappeared. Harry disapparated into the hotel lobby with Bella and Hermione and both turned red from embarrassment. Harry smiled as he walked to the stairwell. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun…for me that is!" he state to them.

Bella looked at Hermione with a grin "I blame this all on you."

Hermione looked back with a grin "Me? you're the one that talked me into this. It's your fault."

Four days later they emerged from the room dressed in their very finest robes. The day had come for their confrontation with the ICW, the full assembly. Harry held their hands "I think after four days that no one will probably ever remember what the ICW was, this should be a very subdued morning."

Hermione laughed "Harry even I have to admit that you were brilliant. To defeat your enemy without even breaking a sweat…"

Harry stopped and looked very serious "Didn't you see the sweat roll from my brow as I cast the spell? That was very hard work I will have you know!"

The three landed in the very deserted ICW main hall. The large assembly chamber was across from them and Harry waved his hand to open the ornate double doors that led to the main floor with the stadium seating all around it. At the main bench sat a single solitary figure who looked very surprised at the people who entered. He watched them make their way down to the accused box. Harry stepped into it and looked at the man with a smile.

The man looked confused but responded quickly "May I help you."

Harry kept his smile "You requested us to be here today."

The man responded with more confusion "I did?" He looked around his desk but only saw blank paper. He asked "I don't seem to have any documents up here. I remember we, I mean I had something important that was happening today but I can't remember what. What was your name?"

Harry kept his smile "I am Harry Potter."

The man, William Johns St. Ives, flashed a dangerous and predatory recognition of the name but the blank look soon replaced that as he lost the memories of what Harry was wanted for."

Harry took a piece of paper from his robe and levitated it to William. When William looked at it his mien took a whole different look as he stood up quickly "You! You are under arrest!" he shouted.

Harry eyebrow arched upwards "Bill, that kind of attitude will do you no good. Look around you. There is no one else left to play except the four of us."

William smacked his hand on his desk "Because you put this entire island under a fidelus charm, you son of a bitch. You will remove it immediately!"

Harry laughed "No, Bill it is not just the island, I placed the whole organization under a fidelus. No one on this planet can remember a thing about the ICW except the four of us." Harry paused "As soon as you leave this island, you won't remember it ever again either. The ICW and its antiquated ways are over."

William looked stunned and then threw the paper away on the floor. It was not noticed by him that the paper began to smolder, and then smoke, before it flamed into a fire. "It is not possible for you can't have done what you said."

Bella began to laugh "Oh Billy, Billy, Billy… he just did. My husband just took down an international organization. He dismantled it completely without even lifting a finger to cast an offensive spell. What is more important is that this institution cannot interfere ever again."

Hermione smiled "In fact he is starting his own international organization to replace yours and what is more…" Hermione lifted her arms to indicate this building and the land surrounding them "He has the facilities to do this."

Harry leaned forward "You thought you could blindly attack me through your organization and get me under control. By allowing me access to this place I was able to cast the spell that utterly and completely devastated the last vestiges of resistance to getting this world united by uniting all governments for common goals and interests." Harry smiled "More importantly I will get all magical and non-magical beings working together for the common good."

"It is amazing how exactly as the fidelus went up, many of the world's conflicts ceased to exist. I knew exactly what you had been doing."

William sat back down heavily "How did you learn of all this?"

Harry looked around "Bill I have a special relationship with magic and it told me. It also told me that the twenty top nations in this organization were causing most of humanities strife so they could profit from the wars, food shortages, and the suffering you have caused."

Harry did a tempus spell "The High Guard have caught all of your fellow conspirators and they have been transported to an island in the south pacific. It is an island that is 1 mile wide and 1 mile in length. It is your prison for the remainder of your life. There will be no amenities and only the bare essentials will be provided and it is the least I could do for the millions of men, women, and children you have made suffer for your greed."

Harry turned to leave as two high guards appeared next to William and placed magical manacles on his wrist. William yelled "Wait, will we be able to do magic?"

Bella answered "Your magic will be stripped from you as it has been done to the others. You will live out your life as a mundane." William upon hearing this began to cry and was dragged away by the guards.

Hermione turned to Bella and Harry "Is it over now, can we finally live our lives as we choose?"

Harry looked at her and then at Bella and gave his lopsided grin. He held his arms out to them and they claimed his arm and a side each. "Well, my life for the next twenty-six days will be all about choices of what I want the two of you to do. You two not so much as we still have the bet that has to be paid."

Bella and Hermione began to laugh and then Hermione stated "Twenty-six days, is that all?" She winked at Bella and then with a grin "Harry how about double or nothing and we make another bet to win our freedom from your evil clutches?"

Harry was smiling now "I don't know I very much like the bet we have now and you two are far smarter than me. I mean why would I look a gift horse in the mouth?"

Bella began to grin again "Hermione he is right you know it is a lot to risk on his part when he has us right where he wants us."

Hermione really smiled "Perhaps we could make the stakes for longer and add some other incentive. Would six months more after this be enough incentive?"

Harry had a smirk "I was thinking more along the lines of the rest of the year."

Hermione held her fist up "Yes!" Bella smacked the back of her head and Hermione fake pouted "I mean oh no anything but a year, sir…I wouldn't be able to stand it."

Harry almost began laughing and barely managed to hold it in before he replied "So what is the bet you were thinking about?"

Bella grinned "Who is right about this question. What color is the Mediterranean sea?"

Hermione then chirped in "Bella claims that it is Marine Blue and of course I say it is Green. So Potter since one of us is definitely right, we are out of your control."

Harry cleared his throat "I do not think so my very lovely ladies, who are now totally, completely and unequivocally mine and I own you for at least the next year… the answer is simple it's Aqua, the water is Aqua."

Bella hit her foot on the ground "Now see what you have done Hermione? We will be forced to do all sorts…" Bella turned Harry to her where she planted a very warm kiss on his lips …of naughty…"

Hermione turned Harry towards her and gave him a similar kiss and stated after "…and Nefarious"

Bella spun him again "… Harry I think you should get us home now. Before we do naughty and nefarious things to you…"

Hermione closed the gap between them from the back and whispered in his ear "We have always been owned by you and neither Bella nor I want it any other way." Hermione kissed his ear before a smiling Harry apparated them away.

TE


End file.
